{"id":18250,"date":"2025-05-12T16:44:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T11:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aqi.in\/blog\/?p=18250"},"modified":"2025-05-12T16:45:31","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T11:15:31","slug":"methane-emissions-from-delhis-landfills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aqi.in\/blog\/methane-emissions-from-delhis-landfills\/","title":{"rendered":"Methane Emissions from Delhi&#8217;s Landfills: An Invisible Threat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Over 30 million residents of Delhi are forced to inhale dangerous gases such as methane. But where is this hazardous gas coming from? Delhi has three major landfills\u2014Ghazipur, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aqi.in\/dashboard\/india\/delhi\/new-delhi\/bhalswa-landfill\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bhalswa,<\/a> and Okhla\u2014which have been identified as significant sources of methane emissions. Moreover, the size of these landfills continues to expand each day. Let\u2019s take a closer look at the methane emissions from Delhi\u2019s landfills in detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Methane Emissions from Delhi&#8217;s Landfills Are a Growing Problem?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Delhi\u2019s landfills\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aqi.in\/dashboard\/india\/delhi\/new-delhi\/ghazipur\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ghazipur<\/a>, Bhalswa, and Okhla\u2014are like giant garbage mountains, some as tall as the Qutub Minar (73 meters). They\u2019re leaking methane, a harmful gas that makes climate change worse. Every day, Delhi dumps over 10,000 tonnes of waste, with 50-55% being food scraps and other biodegradable stuff that rots and releases methane. Since 2020, satellites have spotted 124 major methane leaks, including a massive one from Ghazipur in 2021, leaking 156 tonnes per hour\u2014that\u2019s like the pollution from 24 million cars running at once!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is Methane?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pranaair.com\/what-is-methane\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Methane<\/a> is an invisible, odourless gas produced when organic waste (like food or plant matter) rots without oxygen, which happens a lot in Delhi\u2019s packed landfills. It\u2019s a greenhouse gas, 82 times more powerful than carbon dioxide (CO2) at trapping heat over 20 years, making our planet hotter. While methane itself isn\u2019t directly toxic to breathe in small amounts, it often comes with other harmful pollutants from landfills, especially during fires, which worsen air quality and health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How Methane Emissions from Delhi&#8217;s Landfills Affect Health?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Methane from landfills doesn\u2019t just float away\u2014it causes problems right here in Delhi:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"798\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aqi.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/little-kids-collecting-garbage-in-the-landfill.webp\" alt=\"3 children picking up the garbage in a landfill\" class=\"wp-image-18254\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Toxic Fumes from Fires<\/strong>: In summer, landfills catch fire due to methane buildup, releasing smoke and pollutants like PM2.5 (tiny particles that get into your lungs). A 2022 Bhalswa fire increased PM2.5 levels by 45-55%, making Delhi\u2019s air even more dangerous<a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s13762-023-04921-w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"> Springer, 2023<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Breathing Issues<\/strong>: People near landfills, like Ghazipur residents, complain of coughing, breathlessness, and sore throats, especially during fires. Mohammad Rizwan, a shop owner near Ghazipur, said, \u201cIt\u2019s impossible to breathe, and everyone gets sick because of the bad fumes and smoke\u201d.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Long-term Risks<\/strong>: Constant exposure to landfill pollutants can lead to asthma, lung infections, or even heart problems, especially for kids and the elderly living nearby.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ghazipur Landfill vs. Qutub Minar<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Picture the Qutub Minar, Delhi\u2019s 73-meter-tall heritage monument, standing tall in Mehrauli. Now imagine the Ghazipur landfill in East Delhi, a towering pile of garbage reaching a similar height, around 72-73 meters, as reported in 2024. Unlike the Qutub Minar, which draws tourists, Ghazipur\u2019s \u201ctrash tower\u201d spews methane and toxic smoke, making life miserable for nearby residents. Growing since 1984, this landfill handles thousands of tonnes of waste daily, and its height is a stark reminder of decades of poor waste management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aqi.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/height-comparison-of-qutub-minar-and-ghazipur-landfill.webp\" alt=\"Height comparison of Qutub Minar and Ghazipur Landfill\" class=\"wp-image-18276\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Should Delhiites Care<\/strong> About <strong>Methane Emissions from Delhi&#8217;s Landfills<\/strong>?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you live in Delhi or nearby areas like Noida or Gurugram, this affects you. The smoke and stench from landfills make daily life harder, especially in summer when fires are common. Plus, methane adds to global warming, which means hotter summers and worse monsoons for all of us. Delhi\u2019s air quality is already among the worst, and landfills make it tougher to breathe clean air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What\u2019s Being Done?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The government promised to clear these landfills by 2024, but the deadline is now still due to slow progress. They\u2019re trying:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Bio-mining<\/strong>: Digging up old waste to recycle or process it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>New Landfills<\/strong>: An engineered landfill in Tehkhand opened in 2024 to manage waste better. But challenges like poor waste segregation (mixing wet and dry waste) and lack of composting facilities keep the problem alive.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Can You Do?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t need to be an expert to help\u2014just start at home:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Separate Your Waste<\/strong>: Keep food scraps (wet waste) separate from plastic and paper (dry waste). This reduces methane-producing waste in landfills.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Compost at Home<\/strong>: Turn kitchen waste into compost for your plants. It\u2019s easy and cuts down landfill waste.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Spread the Word<\/strong>: Talk to your neighbours or RWAs about proper waste disposal. Small changes in your colony can make a big difference.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Relatable Example<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Think of Delhi\u2019s landfills like a giant, smelly kitchen dustbin left unemptied for years. The rotting food inside produces methane, and when it \u201ccatches fire,\u201d it\u2019s like burning trash in your backyard\u2014smoke everywhere, making it hard to breathe. Now imagine doing something simple, like emptying the bin daily or composting the scraps. That\u2019s how we can tackle this problem together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Bottom Line<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Delhi\u2019s landfills are leaking methane, making our air dirtier and our planet hotter. It\u2019s not just a government problem\u2014it\u2019s personal. By segregating waste and composting, you can help clear the air and make Delhi a healthier place to live. Let\u2019s do our part to stop this invisible threat!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over 30 million residents of Delhi are forced to inhale dangerous gases such as methane. But where is this hazardous&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":18265,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[18,167,27],"class_list":["post-18250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-air-pollution","tag-air-pollution","tag-air-pollution-in-india","tag-air-quality"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aqi.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aqi.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aqi.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aqi.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aqi.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18250"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.aqi.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18250\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18289,"href":"https:\/\/www.aqi.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18250\/revisions\/18289"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aqi.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aqi.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aqi.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aqi.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}