Delhi fire cases triple, govt sees conspiracy to derail odd-even

The committee — chaired by Kulanand Joshi, member secretary, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC)— submitted an eight-page report to the government after visiting the sites of fire at Bhalswa, Ghazipur and the Yamuna floodplains.

The committee said fires at both landfill sites were due to the “generation of methane from decomposition of garbage and unknown human error which might have taken place at the site in the absence of a fire prevention plan”. On the fire at the Yamuna floodplains behind the Rajghat power station, the committee said there were no live fires when the site was inspected on April 23, but there were signs of burning.

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However, Rai said when compared to this period last year, there was a three-fold increase in the number of fires between April 15 to April 24. “Who lit these fires? Fire has played a major role in damaging air quality during the odd-even period. The fires at the landfill sites were caused by negligence and there are no precedents of fire in the Yamuna floodplain. It would have to be started by someone,” said Rai.

The minister claimed that there have been attempts to derail the odd-even scheme earlier as well. “At Shantivan, the fire started at three different places, across a distance of 4 km, at the same time. It could have happened but when it all happens at the same time, it does raise some questions,” said Rai.

While the committee pointed out the shortcomings at the landfill sites, it also made certain recommendations for their improvement. Pointing out the deficiencies at the Bhalswa landfill site that caught fire on April 23, and the Ghazipur site that caught fire on April 8, the committee said the sites were not designed as per the Municipal Solid Waste Rules, 2000, and the DPCC had not authorised them under the rules.

The report stated that the 2,150 metric tonnes daily (MTD) of unprocessed waste at Bhalswa and 2,200 MTD at Ghazipur led to the generation of methane due to the decomposition of organic waste.

“At the Bhalswa landfill, we saw a hole in the ground from which flames were rising. It had caught fire spontaneously,” said a government official. The committee also recommended that fire tenders should be permanently stationed at landfill sites and a fire prevention plan should be put in place.