A major fire broke out at Khajod waste disposal site in Surat on Sunday morning (Nov 1) which sent thick clouds of smoke into the sky and worried residents in surrounding areas. It once again drew attention to recurring fire outbreaks and waste management issues at municipal dumping ground.
The flames leapt quickly through piles of accumulated waste and black smoke could be seen from a long way off. People living near the site panicked; people working there were concerned about air pollution and health effects of smoke exposure over time.
The fire reportedly started in a large pile of highly combustible waste (hotfix plastic material) — “waste is particularly flammable when hot” so once flames are lit they can spread quickly. The fire department was told about the incident in the morning and sent firefighting teams to the scene immediately.
Several fire tenders and emergency personnel were called in to control the blaze. Fire fighters had a hard time as the fire had spread through big deep piles of garbage so it was difficult to get to the burning material underneath.
Teams also used heavy machinery such as earthmovers and JCB equipment to move the waste and expose burning sections. Water was sprayed continuously to put out the flames and prevent fire from spreading to other parts of the dumping ground.
Seven fire tenders and 35 firefighters were involved in the operation (one report), three lakh litres of water was used. By around 1 pm the fire was under control but monitoring was needed to prevent flare-ups.
The incident has brought to the fore concerns over waste management at Khajod disposal site. The location has been affected by several fire incidents in recent months and questions have been asked about storage and handling of combustible material there.
Industrial plastic waste at a municipal disposal site has also been reported. Questions have been asked about how this material gets to the dumping ground and whether adequate monitoring and safety arrangements are in place to prevent such incidents from happening again.
🚨🔥 दिवाली की खुशियों से पहले सूरत में मचा हड़कंप! कूड़े के पहाड़ में लगी भीषण आग, आसमान में छाया काले धुएं का गुबार! 😱 गुजरात के सूरत स्थित खजोद वेस्ट डिस्पोजल साइट पर दिवाली की पूर्व संध्या पर भीषण आग लग गई। देखते ही देखते आग कचरे के विशाल ढेरों में फैल गई और आसपास के इलाकों में घना धुआं छा गया। आग पर काबू पाने के लिए दमकल की कई गाड़ियां और आपातकालीन टीमें मौके पर पहुंचीं।
— Jeetendra Rana (@ranajeetendra4) November 2, 2026
Repeated fires at the site have also been a concern from an environmental point of view. Burning large amounts of plastic and mixed waste releases harmful pollutants into the atmosphere (air quality) and health of people living nearby.
The Gujarat Pollution Control Board had previously complained about repeated fires and waste management at the site and the Surat Municipal Corporation’s management of the site was being scrutinised.
The incident once again underscores the importance of waste segregation, scientific waste processing, regular monitoring and stronger fire prevention measures.
Since outbreaks are becoming more frequent residents and environmental observers will be looking for long-term solutions to prevent further incidents at the Khajod dumping site.
Proper waste disposal and preventing highly combustible materials from accumulating will be key to protecting public health and environment.
Comments