The Centre for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR and adjoining areas has issued a 17-point action plan for the management of legacy waste at sanitary landfill sites and waste dumpsites to prevent fire, and for the management of fresh Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to ensure prevention of fire incidents due to open burning. The directions issued for Delhi and the NCR state governments on Tuesday mandate the installation of CCTV cameras at the sites and dumpsites, including appropriate fencing arrangements along the boundary of the landfills, as well as methane gas detectors to identify high concentrations of the harmful gas.
In April, The Indian Express reported on the safety hazards in the Ghazipur landfill site, flagged in a report to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which included a lack of boundary walls, cracks developing on the top, poor leachate management, among other concerns. Delhi’s BJP government has pushed for the flattening of the landfill sites across Ghazipur, Okhla and Bhalswa to be its key agenda, and also highlighted the pace of reducing the landfill heights as one of its achievements in the first 100 days.
Calling it a matter of “serious concern”, the directive noted that a large number of cases of uncontrolled open burning of MSW in NCR are also one of the major contributors of particulate matter pollution and release gaseous pollutants such as Nitrogen dioxide, Sulphur dioxide, and Carbon Monoxide. “Open burning of MSW, which also consists of plastics and other such materials, leads to the production of Dioxins and Furans, which are extremely toxic and a serious health concern for both humans and animals…,” it cautioned.
The Supreme Court, in a May 2 order this year concerning fire incidents in Bandhwari Landfill Site within the limits of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram, directed the Commission to issue directions for preventive measures.
In compliance, the Commission has rolled out the 17-point action plan, which includes:
* Proper identification, categorisation, demarcation and fire-risk assessment of all Sanitary Landfill Sites (SLFs) and dumpsites in Delhi-NCR
* Extensive bio-mining or bio-remediation to be carried out in the landfill or dumpsites to liquidate the legacy waste as per the targeted timeline submitted to the SC
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* GNCTD and NCR state governments need to review the time-bound action plans
* Mandatory installation of CCTV cameras, appropriate fencing arrangements along the boundaries of the SLFs and dumpsites
* Installation of methane gas detectors at these sites so that corrective measures are taken
* Safety gear to be provided to all workers on site and periodic training for fire detection and control, including safe handling of legacy waste
* Adequate firefighting arrangements
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* Periodic mock drills to be conducted, quarterly audits for fire safety and hazardous emissions
* Temperatures to be monitored with a non-contact infrared thermometer
* Frequent patrolling to guard against unauthorised entry, mainly during night
* Adequate storage of sand or chemical fire extinguishing for immediate action, dedicated fire tenders and other fire safety measures also need to be in place
For the management of fresh generation of MSW, the Commission has directed the state governments to ensure collection, segregation, transportation and processing of the MSW as per the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. It has also asked the governments to improve surveillance mechanism at locations vulnerable to garbage burning, especially during the night hours in the winter season.
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There should be zero tolerance towards such open burning, it noted while directing for regular patrolling by enforcement teams.
Augmenting capacities of Urban Local Bodies to process horticulture waste, public awareness campaigns through the Resident Welfare Associations, and regular capacity building programmes for sanitation staff must be incorporated, as per the directions. Non-compliance would attract strict penal action, the Commission stated.