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Context: A massive fire broke out at the Ghazipur landfill. Toxins from the fire spread into adjoining habitations and public spaces, including Noida, Ghaziabad, Khichdipur residential area and Ghazipur market.

 

Key pollutants emitted by dumpsite fires include:

• Particulate matter
• Oxides of sulphur and nitrogen
• Dioxins furans
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
• Volatile organic compounds

 

Reasons that attributed to dumpsite fire:

• very high temperatures
• mismanagement of waste at the dumpsite by the local government
• un-scientific treatment and disposal processes at the site
• Various physical, chemical and microbiological processes generate heat in unregulated dumpsites, leading to surface and sub-surface fires.
• Decomposition of biodegradable waste, for instance, increases the temperature at unregulated dumpyards.
• Anaerobic decomposition of this class of waste releases explosive methane gas, increasing its concentration to multiple times that in the normal ambient air
• Informal recyclers also set fires to reclaim metals.
• presence of any ignitable material (hot load) at the dumpsite
  • Hot loads refer to waste that catches fire, smoulders or spontaneously combusts. It can include brush, leaves, construction debris, fuel, tires or chemicals that react and cause a fire.

 

Impact of dumpsite fire:

• threaten the environment and human health
• safety risk for the workers, firefighters and informal waste pickers.
• fires contribute to slope instability (mass and volume reduction due to fire).

 

What can be done?

• Authorities must understand that these kinds of hazards can only be prevented by adopting sustainable waste management practices with a particular focus on sustainable “landfill operations” such as minimising the dumping of unsegregated waste (mainly wet biodegradables), regular compaction of waste and soil cover should be practiced to avoid fire hazards.
• Installation of gas vents (methane collection and treatment mechanism) could be one of the interim measures for controlling methane gas accumulation.
• Strict enforcement of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 that mandates compaction of waste and daily soil cover of 10 centimetres (soil / inert debris / construction material).
  • Compaction of waste is important to remove the air pockets in the waste heap, which can otherwise accumulate methane.
• Workers, drivers and officials should be informed and trained to identify and remove potential hot loads at the dumpsites.
• No one should be allowed to smoke in the dumpsite
• There has to be a stringent monitoring mechanism by skilled manpower for assessing the fire hazards in the dumpsite area.

 

About Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016

The Solid Waste Management Rules (SWM), 2016 replaced the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, which have been in place for the past 16 years.

Salient features of the SWM, 2016:

• Segregation Of Waste Is Important: As per the new rules, all waste generators should start segregating their waste into three categories – Biodegradables, Dry Waste (Plastic, Paper, metal, Wood) and Domestic Hazardous Waste (diapers, napkins, mosquito repellents, cleaning agents) before they hand it over to the collectors.
• Collection And Disposal Of Sanitary Napkins: In order to manage the sanitary waste like diapers and sanitary pads effectively, the new guidelines have made it mandatory for the manufacturers to provide a pouch or wrapper for disposal whenever they sell their products to the customer.
• Introduction Of New Things – User Fees And Spot Fines: Under the new rules, waste generators will have to pay some amount to the waste collectors for activities like collection, disposal, and processing of waste. The local body across India has the authority to decide the ‘User Fees.’ The rules also stipulate zero tolerance for throwing, burning or burying the solid waste generated on streets, open public spaces, water bodies, “Spot Fines” are also introduced under these new rules which means if someone is found littering or disobeying the guidelines, then local bodies have the authority to fine them.
• Collect Back System For Non-biodegradable Packaging Waste; The new guidelines says that the brand owners who sell or market their products in packaging material which are non‐biodegradable or are not environmental friendly, will have to put a system in place to collect back the packaging waste generated due to their production.
• A Bin Is A Must For Street Vendors: All street vendor should keep suitable containers or bins for storage of the waste generated by them such as food waste, disposable plates, cups, cans, wrappers, coconut shells, leftover food, vegetables, fruits etc. They are also responsible for their own waste and should deposit their waste at a waste storage depot or container or vehicle as notified by the local authority.
• Guidelines For The Over-growing Landfills: No non-recyclable waste having calorific value of 1500 K/cal/kg or more shall be disposed in the landfills. That waste can either be utilised for generating energy or can be used for preparing refuse derived fuel. It can also be used for co-processing in cement or thermal power plants. As per the new rules, the landfill site should be 100 metres away from a river, 200 metres from a pond, 500 metres away from highways, habitations, public parks and water supply wells and 20 km away from airports/airbase.
• Waste Processing And Treatment Guidelines: The new rules advise that the bio-degradable waste should be processed, treated and disposed of through composting or bio-methanation within the premises as far as possible and the residual waste shall be given to the waste collectors or agency as directed by the local authority. The developers of Special Economic Zone, industrial estate, industrial park will also have to earmark at least 5 percent of the total area of the plot or minimum 5 plots/ sheds for recovery and recycling facility.T he rules have also mandated bio‐remediation or capping of old and abandoned dump sites within five years.
• Involvement of Ragpickers: The new rules help in the integration of ragpickers, waste pickers and kabadiwalas from the informal sector to the formal sector by the state government.
• Guidelines for Municipal authorities: All local bodies are required to set up few by-laws regarding waste management, segregation of waste within their society. They are also required to set up a system in place so as the process of waste segregation can be followed smoothly by all waste generators. They are also required to promote the idea of composting, waste segregation and waste management through different educative campaigns.
• The Process Of Monitoring: The government has also established a Central Monitoring Committee under the chairmanship of Secretary, MoEF&CC to monitor the overall implementation of the rules effectively. It is advised that the committee comprising of various stakeholders from the central and state governments will meet once a year to discuss and monitor the implementation of these rules.

 

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/waste/-unscientific-disposal-treatment-of-waste-behind-massive-fire-at-ghazipur-landfill-say-experts-82129