An eerie silence prevailed in the city's administrative circles on Wednesday as the fire at Adampur landfill, Bhopal’s municipal dumping ground, continued to smoulder despite health and environmental concerns.
The blaze, which erupted around 1 PM on Tuesday, has been smouldering for more than 48 hours. Thick grey smoke now hangs over villages such as Padariya, Bilkhiriya, Shanti Nagar, Samardha, Arjun Nagar, Haripura and Chhawani. Residents are complaining of eye irritation and a constant burning sensation.
Initial investigations suggest that the fire erupted due to a mix of heat and methane emissions from unsegregated waste.
The smoke cloud remained visible from as far as 10 kilometres away, including from vantage points in Bhopal city. With the summer sun bearing down, the fire has remained stubborn despite repeated firefighting attempts.
Fire Officer Saurabh Patel stated: "We have been trying to control the fire for the past 36 hours and expect to have it under control soon. It’s difficult to say exactly how many tankers have been used so far. The main issue is the presence of plastic waste, which is acting as a fuel."
According to officials, nearly 300,000 tonnes of solid waste has turned to ash. The landfill’s unsegregated garbage includes large quantities of plastic, which burns slowly and continuously, releasing hazardous fumes into the air.
Experts say Bhopal generates about 800 metric tonnes of waste every day. While standard procedure involves sending dry waste to cement plants for co-processing, most of it has been left to accumulate, creating a massive mountain of combustible material.
Despite repeated efforts, both municipal officials and district pollution authorities remained unavailable for comment.
Meanwhile, people in the affected areas continue to endure acrid air and uncertainty, as the fire shows no signs of abating.