Ggm gasps for air: Bandhwari landfill fire doused but toxic fumes fill sky

Gurugram: A fire that broke out at the Bandhwari landfill site in Gurugram two days ago has been doused but the locals are grappling with the effects of toxic fumes that have filled the air. A local resident said the repeated fires in the garbage mountain in Bandhwari landfill site have caused more trouble for the people living nearby.

The smoke generated from these fires makes them gasp for air, the resident said.

The residents here have reported experiencing respiratory issues and eye-irritation.

“During summer and monsoon season, it became increasingly difficult to sit outside our homes. The waste also contaminated the water in the area and we couldn’t bathe. But the government doesn’t care about people at all,” said Ravi Harsana, a resident of Bandhwari village.

According to officials, over 25 fire tenders were deployed to control the fire that broke out at the landfill site two days ago.

It took firefighters 16 hours to completely douse the blaze, they said. However, it was not the lone incident in the area. In 2024, more than 70 fire incidents were reported in the Bandhwadi landfill site between March and June.

The Bandhwari landfill is built on an old mining pit which is close to groundwater aquifer and the Aravalli forest. It is an open dumping site, receiving approximately 1,800 tonnes of municipal waste every day from Gurugram and Faridabad. Repeated fires in the area further raise concern over pollution and ecological damage.

According to a Municipal Corporation Gurugram (MCG) official, Methane gas builds up under garbage in landfills due to the decomposition of organic waste in the absence of oxygen. When it comes in contact with air, it catches fire immediately.

Due to the intensity of the fire, it becomes difficult to control it, he added. An official said that during a preliminary investigation, waste littering in the forest area emerged

as the reason behind the recent fire at the landfill site. Meanwhile, citizen groups and environmentalists have raised demands for a special force to protect Aravallis. With agency inputs