Fire breaks out at Ghazipur landfill site

New Delhi, April 21

A major fire broke out at the Ghazipur landfill site in east Delhi on Sunday evening, with officials rushing to the scene to contain the blaze.

“We received a call regarding the fire at 5.22 pm. Two fire tenders were pressed into service. The police were informed,” a Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official said.

A senior Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) official said excavators were also pressed into service to control the fire. Meanwhile, the BJP hit out at the Delhi Government, alleging that it had promised to clear the Ghazipur landfill site by December 31 last year but did not keep its word.

In a statement, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said as a result of the fire at the landfill site, smoke engulfed the entire area, causing inconvenience to residents and businesses.

He highlighted the absence of proactive measures from the authorities, noting that neither Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai nor Mayor Shelly Oberoi had visited the site, despite the severity of the situation.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had promised to clear this landfill site by December 31 last year, before the 2022 MCD elections. However, instead of clearing the garbage, more was added, he alleged.

In 2019, the height of the Ghazipur landfill was 65 m, only eight metres less than the Qutub Minar.

In 2017, a portion of the garbage at the dumping yard fell on an adjacent road, killing two people. Three incidents of fire were reported at the Ghazipur landfill in 2022, including one on March 28 which was doused after over 50 hours.