NEW DELHI: For the fourth successive day, firefighters continued to carry out operations to douse the fire at the Bhalswa landfill. They were hopeful that the fire would be doused by Saturday.
Atul Garg, director, Delhi Fire Services, said: “Due to the scorching heat and the rising temperature, fires at landfill are difficult to douse since they keep self-igniting. Braving several difficulties, including the unbearable heat and smoke, the firefighters have managed to control the spread of the fire. At most places, we have been able to douse it. Most likely by Saturday, it will be completely doused after which cooling operations will continue.”
Garg further stated that the fire department was getting around 100-120 calls a day and the firemen were on their toes all the time.
“Compared with winter months, summers usually see a higher number of fire incidents. This year, even before April began, the fire calls had increased and we had taken several measures to ensure all hands were on the deck. In landfill fires, the issue is that the source of water is not close to the location and also, the fire is ignited from several places making it difficult for one to douse it. Since the structure is unstable, accessibility to the affected areas is another challenge,” added Garg.
