Dump sites in Delhi and other cities are like time bombs: NGT

The National Green Tribunal has expressed serious concern over fire incidents at Ghazipur landfill site in the national capital saying dump sites are like "time bombs".

A massive fire erupted at the Ghazipur landfill site on Wednesday, the third such incident since March 28, sending a dense plume of smoke into the sky and exacerbating the already polluted air in nearby areas.

Last year, the authorities reported four fire incidents at the Ghazipur landfill. In 2017, a large part of it broke away, crashing onto a road and killing two people.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice A K Goel said the dump sites in Delhi and in other cities are like "time bombs" because they constantly generate explosive gases like methane which may escape through vertical and lateral ways posing constant threat of explosion.

"It is a matter of concern that such incidents are taking place elsewhere also and there is potential for the same wherever legacy waste remains unremediated. It is for this reason that there is statutory timeline expected to be followed strictly.

Situation in Delhi may be more serious having regard to the size of the garbage dump and its location in densely populated area. This requires constitution of a multi-department Committee of concerned Departments and responsible prompt action at higher levels of the administration, the bench said.

The NGT constituted a committee headed by Justice S P Garg, former Delhi High Court judge with members from Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Department of Urban Development, Delhi, EDMC, Delhi Disaster Management Authority and District Magistrate and DCP, East Delhi.

DPCC will be the nodal agency for coordination and compliance. The Committee may hold its first meeting within one week, undertake visit to the site, interact with the stakeholders, ascertain the factual situation and suggest further course of action after interaction with the concerned stakeholders, the bench said.

The green panel said the committee may furnish the report within one month by e-mail.

The tribunal took up the matter in the light of media report showing serious hazard to public health and environment on account of fire at the Ghazipur garbage dump site.

Commissioned in 1984, the Ghazipur landfill site is spread across 70 acres. In 2019, the garbage dump site had grown 65 metres high.

The DPCC had imposed a fine of Rs 50 lakh on the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) after a fire erupted at the landfill on March 28.