Civic body officials have hinted that sporadic fires will continue to erupt at the city’s oldest dumping ground at Deonar due to the burning of methane gas.
Civic body officials have hinted that sporadic fires will continue to erupt at the city’s oldest dumping ground at Deonar due to the burning of methane gas, as the work on laying pipelines to collect methane will take at least another year.
Often, the garbage on the ground catches fire due to the generation of methane gas which is caused due to the degradation of the bio waste dumped there. To avoid this, a methane collection system will have to be put in place. The fumes emanating from the ground as a result of the fires have been a constant annoyance for the residents of Chembur and its neighbouring suburbs, turning the area into a gas chamber.
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Scientific closure going slow
Spread over an area of 132 hectares, the Deonar dumping ground is slated for its scientific closure on an area of 65 hectares. However, only 45% of the job has been completed so far, as per the civic body.
Apart from the ‘gas-to-energy’ project, the development of a compost plant of 2,000 metric tonnes capacity here is in the pipeline
A third dumping site in Mulund has an intake capacity of 500 metric tonnes
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In 2008, after receiving several complaints from residents, the BMC had decided to close down a section of the dumping ground in a scientific manner. Out of 132 acres that constitute the dumping ground, 65 acres are to be closed down and used to extract methane gas that will then be used to generate power. However, only 45% of the job is complete.
“We have managed to complete 45% closure of the ground in a scientific manner. The remaining work of laying pipelines will take another year to be completed,” additional municipal commissioner Mohan Adtani told DNA.
With the BMC now saying it will take another year for the laying of pipelines, residents will have no choice but to deal with the fumes longer.
Adtani added that due to the work on the methane collection system being incomplete, fires will continue to be triggered at the ground.
“The garbage on the ground often catches fire due to the generation of methane. However, we take enough care to curb these fires. But the problem will be solved to a great extent only once the gas collection system is in place,” he added.
The partial functioning of another dump site in Kanjurmarg is only adding to the woes of the residents. When fully functional, the new site is supposed to process 4,000 metric tonnes of waste. But, at present, only 500 metric tonnes of waste can be treated here, putting pressure on the BMC to dispose most of the city’s refuse of 6,500 metric tonnes at the Deonar site, at a time when it should ideally have an intake of 2,000 metric tonnes.
“Until the Kanjurmarg site is made completely available, Deonar will continue to face the burden,” Adtani added.
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