Landfills on fire: Not just stubble burning, Delhi itself has ample sources of air pollution

Burning waste in the landfills is a common practice to dispose urban waste
Landfills on fire: Not just stubble burning, Delhi itself has ample sources of air pollution
Waste dumped at a landfill in Delhi's Ghazipur area is seen burning. It is common for sanitation workers to burn the waste to make room for more waste the next day.Photographs by Vikas Choudhary
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It's not merely the burning of farm stubble that causes the air quality index (AQI) to hit the roof in the national capital.

Studies have shown that vehicular emissions and burning of waste at the landfills release toxins that worsen the air quality.

It is concerning that our cities still don't have a sustainable method to treat solid waste.
It is concerning that our cities still don't have a sustainable method to treat solid waste.

Workers who dump the waste at these landfills are forced to burn it as the landfills are running out of space to accommodate the endless generation of waste.

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