Delhi air quality suffers another blow as Bhalswa landfill rages fire

A fire has been raging at the Bhalswa landfill site here since October 20, raising concerns about rising pollution levels in the city.

Delhi's air quality oscillated between "poor" and "very poor" category Sunday as authorities have warned of days of severe pollution ahead.

The fire at Bhalswa landfill site broke out at 2 pm on October 20, a Delhi Fire Service official said, adding firefighting was still going on at the site.

Three fire tenders are working to douse the blaze, he said.

Meanwhile, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) said the fire was extinguished by noon, but the fire the department maintained that the fire was still raging at the site.

Bhalswa landfill site falls under the jurisdiction of the NDMC. The nearly 50 metre-high heap at Bhalswa is already saturated way beyond its capacity.