New Delhi chokes as trash mountain fire spreads hazardous fumes

. Indias capital choked on toxic fumes Tuesday, as a thick and pungent haze spread from a fire at a towering trash dump, the latest in a series of landfill blazes that authorities have struggled for years to bring under control.. . Sections of the Ghazipur landfill in New Delhi burst into flames on Sunday, causing dangerous heat and methane emissions and adding to Indias growing climate challenges..

Every year, as mercury levels soar during New Delhis scorchingsummers, the citys landfills burst into flames, with rotting waste adding to Indias climate-heating methane gas emissions.. . Methane is the second most abundant greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide but is a more potent contributor to the climate crisis because it traps more heat..

The trash mountain at Ghazipur is just one of some 3,000 Indian landfills overflowing with decaying waste and emitting hazardous gases, according to a 2023 report from the Center for Science and Environment, a nonprofit research agency in New Delhi..

Standing at 65 meters (213 feet), it is nearly as tall as the historic Taj Mahal, and an eyesore that towers over surrounding homes, harming residents health.. . Exposure to methane can aggravate lung diseases, cause asthma and increase the risk of stroke, according to the non-profit Global Clean Air Initiative.. . Methane emissions arent the only hazard stemming from landfills..

Scientists estimate the reduction could cut global temperature rise by 0.2% and help the world reach its target of keeping global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius.. . India has said it wont join because most of its methane emissions come from farming some 74% from farm animals and paddy fields versus less than 15% from landfill..

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