Fumes at Bhalswa landfill site likely to worsen Delhi's air quality

With the national capital already reeling under "poor" air quality, fumes from a fire that broke out at the Bhalswa landfill site on October 20 is likely to cause a further plunge in the air quality of New Delhi.

The rag pickers at Bhalswa landfill site said that such incidents keep occurring two to three times in a year; and hence, they are habitual of it. People living near the Bhalswa landfill are facing problems while breathing as the atmosphere near the area has become more toxic.

One of the ragpickers told ANI, "Fire incidents keep taking place at the site on and off, caused by natural factors or caused by some incendiary material."

Meanwhile, a local living near the area for nearly 30 years, said, "People near this landfill are suffering from serious diseases like TB, Cancer, and Asthma. The groundwater in the area has become also become contaminated due to the landfill. The government has not taken serious action to tackle the problem."

The air quality in Delhi is likely to deteriorate in the coming days due to the toxic air coming out of a fire at Bhalswa landfill site.

The Bhalswa landfill site falls under the jurisdiction of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC). The massive garbage heap had gotten saturated several years ago.