Ghazipur landfill fire: Locals grapple with breathing issues, eye & throat irritation

Flames rise after a fire broke out at the Ghazipur landfill site/ PTI

Plumes of thick, dark smoke continued to rise from the Ghazipur landfill site in the national capital on Monday, hours after a major fire broke out there last evening.

Several residents living close to the landfill complained about breathing difficulties and irritation in the eyes and throat.

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A Delhi Fire Services official said that after receiving a call regarding the blaze at 6 pm yesterday, 10 fire tenders were pressed into putting out the fire.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh who is in Maharashtra today when asked by reporters on the landfill fire said, "All the MCD officials are working on it. The Fire Department has also been working. The fire will be brought under control soon."

An office-going commuter said, "When I woke up today, the area was not clearly visible. I was not able to breathe properly. I was coughing continuously. I was having irritation in my eyes. Irritation in my throat. The government is not doing anything."

Expressing concern for children, he said, "Now tell me where do we go? We have our homes here. We have kids and they will fall sick. What will be their future? This has become an everyday drama. If you would have visited at night, you would have witnessed a lot of smoke in the area."

Another local commuter, Aakash Kumar said that the biggest problem they are facing is the breathing issue. "We face a lot of problems while going to work. The fire caused a lot of problems here. The elderly citizens are facing problems in travelling due to the breathing issue... This problem is not being resolved. The biggest problem we are facing is breathing," he said.

A schoolgirl from the area said, "We were having irritation in the throat and we were coughing due to smoke. This fire caused pollution. Even our house was filled with smoke. Everyone is suffering from this."

Another local highlighting several health problems said, "We have been facing this problem since the 1990s. We are dealing with diabetes, BP, thyroid and irritation in the eyes. Even small children are suffering due to it... We are having irritation in the eyes. We are not able to go out... No one is paying attention to our problems, be it the Delhi government or the central government."

Nazra, a local resident spoke about feeling discomfort due to the smoke and pollution. "I live here and the smoke is causing discomfort to the eyes...We are also having difficulties in breathing. The entire colony is disturbed. Last time, when the landfill caught fire, there were casualties...," she said.

Another local resident demanded the government to resolve the issue and spoke about breathing difficulties. "We are facing difficulties in breathing due to the smoke caused by the fire. We are unable to talk due to pollution...The fire has been continuing since yesterday morning. The administration has not done anything...We want the government to solve the issue."

Delhi Fire Service SO Naresh Kumar said that the fire was caused by the gas produced in the landfill.

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