A day after the Mumbai fire brigade withdrew their vehicles on completing the cooling operation at Deonar dumping ground, there were reports of another fire there on Thursday night. Fire brigade officials, however, confirmed that the fire was not a major one and that the contractor at the dumping ground was dousing it at their level.
"Small fires at the ground are a routine affair because of the garbage, but there was no major fire," said a senior civic official.
On Wednesday, corporators across party lines in the standing committee meeting raised their voice against the civic authorities' negligence with regard to the fire at Deonar dumping ground, alleging foul play in the incident. Garbage at the ground caught fire on February 26, but the Mumbai fire brigade is still struggling with the cooling operation.
Samajwadi Party group leader in the BMC Rais Shaikh insisted that an FIR be filed in the case. "I had asked for an FIR to be filed in the matter, but the civic body is yet to do so. The local mafia is involved... and eastern suburb residents are suffering because of the toxic smoke," Shaikh said.
He added that the fire is not due to natural causes and is being continuously ignited by the mafia. "I have demanded a criminal investigation and air surveillance," he said.
Siraj Shaikh, another corporator, stressed that the smoke was affecting school students in the area. "Local schools near the dumping ground have to shut doors as it is impossible for students to be present in school amid so much smoke. Schools cannot take responsibility of so many students in such a situation," he said.
BJP group leader in the BMC Manoj Kotak said, "Last year, there was a similar fire in the Mulund dumping ground. That time, too, I had demanded an inquiry into the matter, but the authorities had not done anything about it."
The committee was adjourned following the discussion.
