The massive fire at Nagpur’s Bhandewadi dumping yard entered its third day on Monday, continuing to blanket the city’s eastern fringes in thick, toxic smoke. In a swift response, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has carved a temporary road to the summit of the garbage mound to access the fire’s core.
Using this makeshift road, tipper trucks and bulldozers are transporting soil from nearby bio-mining pits to the top of the heap. The soil is being used to cap the burning waste and cut off oxygen, aiming to suffocate the fire. Officials estimate it could take another week to fully douse the flames.
While the blaze has been controlled near residential areas like Tulsi Nagar and Abbumiyan Nagar, the inner core continues to smoulder, posing serious health risks. Residents report breathing issues, eye irritation, and skin problems as toxic fumes — including dioxins and hydrogen cyanide — continue to seep into the air.
Firefighters are using specialized M50 respirators to combat the hazardous conditions on-site.
Garbage collection across the city has been severely impacted. With Bhandewadi temporarily out of service, over 600 waste collection vehicles operated by BVG India and AG Enviro have been rerouted to holding areas near the SusBDe sewage treatment plant. The city produces approximately 1,450 metric tonnes of garbage daily, now awaiting disposal.
The bio-mining and SusBDe facilities remain operational, with bio-mining pits providing essential soil for firefighting efforts. However, the incident has once again highlighted critical gaps in waste management planning and the urgent need for sustainable solutions to protect public health.
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