Javadekar holds 'careless' contractors responsible for Deonar fire

As Mumbai's air quality falls to 'poor' category after a fire that broke out at Deonar dumping ground in the eastern suburbs of the city, Minister of State for Environment and Forests Prakash Javadekar on Monday alleged this shows the carelessness on the part of the contractors and those involved in the operation of managing the dumping waste.

"The fire in Deonar dumping ground in Mumbai which is emitting toxic gases is a serious issue. And this shows the carelessness on the part of the contractors and those who are involved in the operation of managing the dumping waste," Javadekar told ANI here.

"We have sent a special team to the Mumbai Deonar dumping site and our team will give a full report within a week. And I have already discussed it with the Commissioner of Mumbai and I will discuss it with the Chief Minister as soon as our report is ready," he added.

Asserting that appropriate advice and direction would be given to the state government in this regard, Javadekar said that the former would be asked to initiate stern action against the violators.

"We are issuing a new solid waste management rule in this fortnight. And that will actually give solution for all such waste problems. Decentralized waste collection and utalisation, segregation and its recycling," he added.

Maharashtra Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam had earlier alleged that frequent fire incidents occurring in the Deonar dumping ground were a conspiracy to malign the Shiv Sena.

"Frequent fire incidents in the Deonar dumping ground are conspiracy to malign Shiv Sena," Kadam said in the Maharashtra Assembly.

"I will request Chief Minister to initiate investigation into this," he added.

The fire that broke out at Mumbai's Deonar dumping ground last evening, intensified later and spread to around two-three square kilometres.

A massive fire had broken out at the city's biggest dumping yard, spread across 326 acres, on January 27. It was brought under control after seven days of round-the-clock fire-fighting.