New Delhi: A fire broke out in north Delhi’s Bhalswa landfill site on Friday afternoon, the officials said, reported news agency PTI. The officials told the news agency that they had received information about the blaze at around 1:52 pm after which five fire tenders were pressed to the spot to douse the flames. 


The fire has been brought under control, the added. 


The incident comes just a day after Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai presented a nine-point action plan to curb landfill fires in the national capital. As part of the plan to avoid landfill fire, a ban has been imposed on the entry of rag pickers and on construction of peripheral roads for fire tenders, the news agency had reported.


Rai added that the officials of Delhi Pollution Control Committee and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi have been asked to study a system installed in Mumbai to capture methane from the rotting waste and replicate it in the national capital to prevent landfill fires. 


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The wet waste dumped in a landfill produces methane when it rots. In hot weather conditions, methane catches fire spontaneously and the blaze spreads as it feeds on combustible material like textiles and plastics.


As part of the action plan, perforated pipes will be installed at the landfill sites to prevent the accumulation of the highly flammable methane gas.


Vehicles engaged at the landfill sites will be fitted with spark arrestors to trap hot exhaust particles from combustion engines, he said.


The part of the plan also includes induction of suction-cum-jetting machines, an underground reservoir of 50,000 litres capacity and a peripheral road around landfill sites for fire tenders.  The Delhi Disaster Management Authority will develop a standard operating procedure to prevent fire incidents, the minister had said.


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On April 26, a massive fire broke out at the Bhalswa landfill site.


This year, three incidents of fire were reported in east Delhi's Ghazipur landfill site, including the one on March 28 which was finally doused over 50 hours after it broke out.