Garbage Dump Fire Near Mumbai Affects Colony Of 1,500

Mumbai: As 12 fire engines worked through much of the evening and night on Tuesday to douse flames that broke out in the Adharwadi dumping ground in Kalyan on the outskirts of Mumbai, the worst affected were 1,500 people who live in a neighbouring slum.

With the smaller pockets of fire raging well into the early hours of Wednesday, the residents of the area were hardly afforded any respite from the smoke, heat and toxic fumes.

Despite the fire being brought under control by Wednesday morning, smouldering pockets of fire that continued to fume as the day progressed and the winds got stronger became difficult to handle.

"The people around are out of danger but the smoke can cause some discomfort," said Namdeo Chaudhari, of station officer of Adharwadi Fire Brigade.

The slum inhabitants were not satisfied with the way the situation was handled. Raju Baburao Dhage, a 46-year-old resident of the Kalyan dumping ground slum said, "The smoke and the fire makes it difficult for us to breathe; children fall ill...why is nothing done to keep the fire in check?"

Local authorities say that arrangements were in place to help the slum dwellers out of their homes during the fire, although most of them chose to not avail the help. "Arrangements were made for the slum dwellers to stay in Sharade School and Sarandar School nearby. The local authorities had all gone up to them and requested them to move there for the night, however, except for a few families with small children, rest all stayed back," said Ghanshyam Navangule, In-charge Executive Engineer of Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation.

But how can they leave everything behind and suddenly move somewhere else for a night, is what most of the slum dwellers had to say in response to the help offered to them.

Meanwhile the cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained. "The high temperature may have resulted into the dry waste catching fire, but we are not sure yet," Mr Navangule said.