It’s been a week since the residents of Kochi started struggling to breathe as thick toxic fumes continue to spread from Brahmapuram waste plant fire. Even though the fire has been completely doused, garbage continues to smolder, adding to the smog. As a result, air quality in the port city has worsened & residents have started reporting breathing difficulties. High temperatures are being cited as the reason behind the fire; however, it is the thick layers of plastic underneath that got heated, preventing the fire at the top from being controlled.

This is not the first time an Indian city has reported a fire breaking out in a landfill. The massive fire at Delhi’s Bhalswa garbage dumpsite grabbed headlines in April 2022. In the same month, a major fire broke out in Chennai’s Perungudi & Chandigarh’s Dadumajra dumping grounds. Earlier this year, an accidental fire broke out in Mangalore’s Pachanady landfill. India has over 3100 landfills, & reports suggest the number of landfill fires has surged since 2015.

As per the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, only non-recyclable, non-biodegradable, & non-combustible waste should go to a sanitary landfill. But, due to lack of segregation, landfills receive mixed wastes, which include organic waste as well as ignitable material and plastics. Lack of scientific planning of landfill sites also poses a major challenge while extinguishing fire. There are multiple ignition points, & the lack of constant water supply makes it a time-consuming process.

Many cities are now coming up with better waste management techniques to minimize landfill related problems. Cities like Ambikapur, Chandrapur & Taliparamba have adopted a zero-landfill model which aims to minimize the need to construct new landfills. There are technologies for early detection using elevated subsurface temperatures & carbon monoxide levels and continuous surveillance which can help prevent such fires.

Is your city facing any issue such as landfill fire? Read more about Kochi here.