A major fire broke out at the Ghazipur landfill site in east Delhi today (April 21) evening, officials reported. A Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official stated, “We received information about the fire around 5:22 pm. Two fire tenders were deployed, and efforts are underway to extinguish the fire. Local police have been informed.”
A senior Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) official mentioned that excavators have been deployed to control the fire. Meanwhile, the BJP criticized the Delhi government, alleging that it had failed to fulfill its promise to clear the Ghazipur landfill site by December 31 last year.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor stated in a release that due to the fire at the landfill site, smoke has engulfed the entire area, causing inconvenience to residents and businesses.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had promised to clear the landfill site by December 31 last year, before the 2022 MCD elections. However, instead of clearing the garbage, more waste was added. In 2019, the height of the Ghazipur landfill was 65 meters, only eight meters less than the Qutub Minar.
In 2017, a portion of the garbage at the dumping yard fell on an adjacent road, resulting in the deaths of two people. Three incidents of fire were reported at the Ghazipur landfill in 2022, including one on March 28, which was extinguished after over 50 hours.