NOIDA: Strong winds and thousands of tonnes of dry waste are conditions that make the city centre dumpsite a tinderbox. On Wednesday, a massive fire began at the site in Sector 32 near Iskcon temple, spreading swiftly on the wings of the 40kmph winds. It was the third year in a row that the site, originally allotted for housing and excavated but for years now a dumping ground for all of the city’s horticulture waste, had caught fire.
Officials said no injuries were reported and firemen were working to douse the blaze, which began around 2pm on Wednesday, following which 15 fire tenders were rushed to the spot.
Officials said the fire was caused by a burning bidi that was thrown into the dry leaves. The man, who allegedly threw the bidi was taken into custody. “Ranjan Pradhan, a resident of Nithari village, was drinking near the dump yard and allegedly threw a burning bidi in the dump yard, due to which the fire ignited. The supervisor at the site was informed about the same by a vendor and a team of guards nabbed the accused and informed the police. He was taken into custody. The accused was drunk at the time of the incident,” a police officer said, adding an FIR was registered against him.
Noida Authority also said a man in a drunken state was responsible for the fire in the dumping ground. “He was nabbed and handed over to the cops and a complaint was filed by the horticulture department. He told police he was there with the intention of ending his life. Moreover, high wind speed on Wednesday aggravated the fire. We do have security personnel on the spot, but it is an open ground, and the guards must have missed noticing the man when he went inside,” Vandana Tripathi, ACEO, horticulture department, Noida Authority, said.
Fire tenders have a tough battle on their hands because the dumpsite spreads across a huge area. The firefight could easily take four to five days, or even more. A similar fire last March had taken more than a week to contain.
“It was found that dry branches of trees and leaves dumped on the ground caught fire. The area engulfed by fire is approximately 1.5km wide and 2 km long. Fifteen fire tenders from surrounding fire stations and private fire tenders were deployed to douse the flames. As many as 75 fire personnel are working to bring the fire under control. Due to dry branches and leaves, the fire spread across the ground swiftly,” chief fire officer (Gautam Budh Nagar) Pradeep Kumar Chaubey said.
He added, “Approximately 30-40 feet of dry wood has been stacked. When we arrived, the fire had already spread considerably. The winds are still quite strong and we are isolating certain areas. We are fighting the blaze. It will take time.”
Dry waste is collected by the horticulture department in the field in Sector 32. For this, deep pits are made here and the leaves are buried. Officials said that wet and dry garbage is also being dumped here for many days.
