Landfills fire: Causes & Preventive Measures

Context

As summer approaches, Indian cities need to be ready for additional incidents like the one that recently broke out at the Kochi landfill site near Brahmapuram.

Probable Question

Why do landfills catch fire, and what can we do about them? (150 words, 10 marks)

About the causes of landfill fires:

• In India out of 95% generated waste about 60% biodegradable material, 25% non-biodegradable material and 15% inert materials, like silt and stone.
• Lower processing rate: In India, only 30-40% of waste generated is processed at its best. So unprocessed waste remains in open landfills for long periods.
• Flammable material in waste: This openly disposed waste includes flammable material like low-quality plastics, which have a relatively higher calorific value of about 2,500-3,000 kcal/kg (compared to around 8,000 kcal/kg for coal), and rags and clothes. 
• Increase temperature: In summer, the biodegradable fraction composts much faster, increasing the temperature of the heap to beyond 70-80° C.
• Multiple factors: In short, the higher temperature and flammable material is responsible for the landfill to catch fire. Some fires have been known to go on for months.

Permanent Landfill Fire Mitigation Ways:

There are two possible permanent solutions to manage landfill fires.

Using scientific manner

• Completely cap the material using soil and close landfills in a scientific manner.
• Closed landfills have specific standard operating procedures, including managing the methane emissions. 
• However, through this way the land can’t be used again for other purposes. 

Bioremediation

• Clear the piles of waste through bioremediation i.e. excavate old waste and use automated sieving machines to segregate the flammable refuse-derived fuel (RDF), such as plastics, rags, clothes, etc., from biodegradable material. 
• The inert fraction will have to be landfilled.
• However, implementing a bioremediation project usually takes up to two or three years, necessitating a short-term solution for landfill fires in the summer.

Short-term Solution for Landfill Fires

Bifurcation of waste

• Landfill sites span 20-30 acres (depending on the size of the corresponding city), and have different kinds of waste.
• The first immediate action is to divide a site into blocks depending on the nature of the waste. 
• At each site, blocks with fresh waste should be separated from blocks with flammable material. 
• Blocks that have been capped using soil are less likely to catch fire, so portions like these should also be separated out.
• This reduces the chance of fires spreading across blocks within the same landfill.

Capping

• Next, the most vulnerable part of the landfill i.e. the portion with lots of plastics and cloth, should be capped with soil.

Water sprinkling

• The fresh-waste block shouldn’t be capped but enough moisture should be provided by sprinkling water. 
• The material should also be turned regularly for aeration, which helps cool the waste heap.

Waste management

• Once a site has been divided into blocks, the municipality or the landfill operator should classify the incoming waste on arrival to the site, and dispose in designated blocks rather than dumping mixed fractions.
• Already segregated and baled non-recyclable and non-biodegradable waste should be sent to cement kilns instead of being allowed to accumulate at the site. 
• Dry grass material and dry trees from the site should also be cleared immediately and disposed of separately.

Also read: Contribution of Livestock to climate change

Other measures

• Sites should be equipped with water tankers with sprinklers for immediate action.
• The municipality should work with the nearest fire department and have a plan of action in advance.
• Waste-processing workers (plant operators, segregators, etc.) should have basic fire-safety and response training.
• People around landfill sites should also be trained and equipped to safeguard themselves during fires.
• The municipality should have routine round-the-clock video surveillance of the most flammable portion of the landfill.
• Flammable material like chemical waste, match sticks, and lighters should not enter the site.
• Machines at the site, like sieves and balers, should be cleaned and moved away from the flammable material.
• On-site staff and security personnel should be housed away from the flammable portion.

Way Forward

• To prevent landfill fires, there is a need for long-term measures, including thorough and sustained interventions from municipalities.
• The permanent and essential solution is to ensure cities have a systematic waste-processing system where wet and dry waste are processed separately and their by-products treated accordingly (recycling, soil enrichment, etc.). This will need multiple stakeholders, including municipalities and waste-processing unit operators, to cooperate.
• Considering India’s summer has already begun, municipalities must implement short-term measures to prevent fire outbreaks while also focusing on long-term solutions to improve solid waste management.

News Source: The Hindu

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/explained-why-do-landfills-catch-fire-and-what-can-we-do-about-them/article66618251.ece

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