25 fire tenders, 1.25 lakh litres of water used to douse Dadumajra garbage dump fire

Despite a spell of rain, flames continued to smoulder late into the evening. Gurmeet Singh Gill, Sub Fire Officer, Sector 38 Fire Station, said a fire call was received at 5 pm on Saturday (May 31).

Fire tenders were immediately rushed from Sector 38, followed by reinforcements from stations in Industrial Area Phase 1, Manimajra, and Sector 17.

“The fire was brought under control by 1 am,” said a fire official at the site. “The flames kept reigniting due to the highly inflammable material, including a large amount of horticulture waste.”

Sub Fire Officer Gill confirmed that no injuries were reported during the firefighting operation.

Ironically, the incident happened on the very day the administration claimed progress before the high court in clearing the dump. The counsel for the Municipal Corporation had submitted that 40,000 metric tonnes of legacy waste had already been removed and that the remaining two lakh tonnes would be cleared by May 31. The counsel also claimed that no new waste was being dumped at the site.

Till a few years ago, fires were a frequent occurrence at the dump. They stopped only when the High Court started seeking action taken reports regarding the clearance of the landfill from the MC.

Here are some notable fire incidents at this dump:

•n April 2022 Fire: A major fire broke out, lasting 45 hours and causing severe air pollution. The smoke engulfed housing localities, leading to breathing difficulties, eye irritation, and throat issues for residents. The Chandigarh Police lodged a daily diary register (DDR) entry, suspecting arson, and started an investigation.

•n April 2021 Fire: This incident was described as more grave than previous fires, affecting both the dumping ground and the waste processing plant. The fire produced dense smoke, impacting a significant portion of the city and causing breathing problems and eye sickness for residents. Firefighting efforts involved multiple tenders, and the blaze was controlled after several hours.

•n October 2020 Fire: A fire at the landfill produced thick smoke, reducing visibility and causing respiratory problems for residents in nearby areas such as Dadumajra, Sector 38 (West), Sector 25, and New Chandigarh. Commuters faced difficulties due to poor visibility, and the cause was suspected to be linked to scrap dealers.