Sharp rise in garbage fires since Sept: Data
new delhi: Data from the Delhi Fire Services has now shown that garbage burning in the Capital is rapidly increasing, with 405 incidents of garbage burning reported to fire officials in 19 days of October itself. According to the data, accessed by Millennium Post, a sharp spike in garbage fires can be seen since September. The DFS has received a total of 2,179 calls related to garbage burning in the city this year so far.
This data showed that DFS had received 138 garbage burning calls in January, 230 in February and 105 in March. On March 24, the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown was imposed. Despite this, the DFS received around 415 garbage fire calls in April, following which it declined to 362 in May, 159 in June, 76 in July and 43 in August.
Significantly, in September, such incidents rose by more than five times to 246 and so far in October, the DFS has received 405 calls about garbage burning.
" To douse garbage fires, it is a normal procedure we opt as we take in other fire incidents," the official said. When asked how much time they take to douse garbage fires, the official said it depends on the type of fire - it can be small, medium or major. "The exact reason behind the sudden increase in calls cannot be explained," the fire official said.
Atul Garg, Director, Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said that in order to curb pollution, fire tenders are sprinkling water in different parts of the city. "DFS is making all efforts to contain the pollution and make it clean for the people of Delhi. Today attended 28 fire calls related to garbage and extinguished quickly all of them," Garg had tweeted on Sunday.
Meanwhile, in Delhi cases of stubble burning were reported from the outer Delhi area and two FIRs were registered. One was registered at the Mundka police station under sections against 188, 278 and 34 IPC, 5/15 Environment Protection Act 1986. The complainant in the case, an official from the office of SDM Punjabi Bagh, told police that on October 16, during the inspection at Bakarwala village in Outer Delhi, they found stubble burning.
The other FIR was registered at the Nangloi police station when a government official received a complaint regarding stubble burning. At the spot, they found stubble burning in the Mundka area. The official told Delhi Police to register a case against 10 people. According to a senior official, they take action on calls related to pollution and register cases on the basis of complaints.
