Delhi: Bhalswa landfill fire rages for fourth straight day| Watch video

Firefighters struggled to douse a fire at the Bhalswa landfill site in north Delhi for the fourth straight day on Friday. A massive fire broke out at the Bhalswa landfill site on Tuesday evening. Several videos showed the blaze churning out dense plumes of smoke and turning the sky hazy grey. According to Delhi Fire Service officials, smoke was reported around 5.00 pm on Tuesday that later spread into a massive fire

Local residents said on Wednesday the thick smoke was choking them.

"Currently, four fire tenders are working at the site. It will take at least one more day to douse the fire. Our teams are working round the clock to put it out," a fire official said to PTI.

"The residents have started complaining of sore throat, itchy eyes and breathing problems," the official said.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. The Delhi government on Thursday imposed a fine of ₹50 lakh on the North Delhi Municipal Corporation in connection with the massive fire that broke out at the Bhalswa landfill site on Tuesday.

Another official said rising temperatures lead to the formation of the "extremely flammable" methane gas at dumping yards.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday blamed "corruption" in the municipal corporation for the frequent fires at landfills in the city, saying the BJP-ruled civic bodies should have used bulldozers to clear the mountains of garbage.

Three incidents of fire have been reported this year at east Delhi's Ghazipur landfill site, including one on March 28 which was doused after over 50 hours.

A four-member team of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and East and North MCD will visit Mumbai on May 2 to study the city's gas sucking mechanism to regulate the continuously emitted methane gas at the Bhalswa landfill site.

*With inputs from agencies