Fire at Chicholi dump ground in Betul spreads smoke over 1 km, residents struggle to breathe

A fire broke out at the dump ground in ward number 5 of Chicholi town in Betul district on Thursday night. Smoke spread over an area of about one kilometre. It reached inside people's homes, and residents had difficulty breathing through the night.

People ran fans to try to push the smoke out of their homes. The cold made their discomfort worse. As the smoke spread far, they had to keep the doors and windows of their homes shut.

Social worker Rupesh Arya said the problem is not new. About a year ago, a team of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had also inspected the dump ground, and it was said then that the site would be shifted elsewhere. The Collector had also directed that land be identified and the dump ground shifted. Residents have also complained about it at the public hearing, but no permanent solution has emerged so far.

The dump ground operates on government land within the town limits. Residents say garbage collects in the midst of a populated area, and every time it catches fire they have to face the smoke.

Prakash Deshmukh, chief municipal officer (CMO) of the nagar parishad, said he was present at the spot and inspecting the trenching ground himself. According to him, the fire was caused by firecracker waste. He said an application has been made to seek land to shift the dump ground, but there is difficulty in making land available. Applications made for two sites have been rejected.

According to the CMO, a fire brigade has been sent to bring the fire under control and has been stationed at the spot permanently.