IIT proposes plan to curb dump fires by capturing methane

To tackle the problem of chronic fires at Deonar dumping ground, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has proposed a plan to capture methane gas, which is generated at the dump yard from the piles of trash causing the fires.

The IIT experts submitted the technical proposal for methane gas capture at Deonar dumping ground to civic chief Ajoy Mehta, who has agreed to implement the project.

“We will be drawing the plan to capture the methane gas from the dump yard as per the IIT proposal,” said Mr Mehta.

According to the civic officials, there is 12.7 million tonnes of trash lying at the Deonar dumping ground. The IIT experts have proposed to capture and collect the methane gas emanating from it. To collect methane, which is considered highly combustible and dangerous for human lives, the IIT has proposed that a well be dug up at the dump yard. However, civic officials have expressed concerns about plans to collect the gas in a well by raising questions about its security.

“There are two ways to dispose of the methane gas — either burn it or collect it in a well.

But there are concerns about the security of the well. The civic officials and IIT experts should solve this problem so that the project takes off at the earliest,” said Samajwadi Party corporator Rais Shaikh.

The objectives of the project involve a topological survey of the dumping ground for estimating the volume of waste

IIT has also recommended slope stabilisation of waste, identifying areas in the dumping site with high potential of methane generation, estimating volume of methane gas, design of landfill gas collection and management system and supervision of gas collection system.

According to the IIT report, when concentration of methane in the air exceeds its lower explosive limits (LEL), then there is a risk of explosion. Methane has low LEL of five per cent, which leads to high risks of explosions in even small proportions of landfill gas. In a study conducted in 2007, the average methane concentration of landfill gas released from the Deonar dumping ground varied between 35 to 58 per cent. Higher concentration of methane in the landfill gas poses a big risk of frequent fire and explosions.

Methane is a major contributor of landfill gas and has a global warming potential that’s 21 times as much carbon dioxide. There are multiple environmental problems, which are caused due to release of landfill gas like nuisance odours, greenhouse gas emissions, health hazards, explosions and fire.