Fire erupts at old Guwahati Municipal Corporation dumping ground

GUWAHATI: Local residents have voiced concern over an uncontrolled fire incident at the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) dumping site at Paschim Boragaon in the city, which has been reportedly burning since last seven days.

According to Pramod Kalita, a local resident who is a conservation activist working on conservation of the Deepor Beel Ramsar Site, tonne upon tonne of legacy waste dumped untreated at the old dumping site of the GMC at Paschim Boragaon has been burning for several days. The wind is spreading the dark smoke to nearby areas and the local people are worried about their health as well as damage to the ecosystem.

The GMC stopped the transfer of solid waste to this old garbage disposal site at Paschim Boragaon on June 28, 2021. The site has been locked since, but there has been no visible step for the scientific treatment of the legacy waste.

GMC had previously stated that the treatment of the legacy waste at the old site had started in January, 2021. Till earlier this year, 2 lakh metric tonne of legacy waste have been treated.

"The content with high calorific value is supplied to the cement factory. It is a continuous process," the corporation had stated.

A senior official of the corporation, upon enquiry, said that the fire was caused due to the methane gas produced from such waste and is a common occurrence. He said that fire tenders have been sent to douse the fire.

The Deepor Beel Suraksha Mancha will be staging a road blockade near the new site on May 17 to protest against the unscientific methods of waste disposal by the GMC. Unfortunately, local residents of the neighbouring areas of the new site have also been complaining of fetid smell and the corporation's failure to address the issue.

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