India, May 1 -- Two days after firefighters doused the flames at the Bandhwari landfill, the site continues to smoulder, blanketing nearby localities in thick, toxic smoke. The persistent fumes are leading to deteriorating air quality and have triggered widespread health concerns, particularly in areas surrounding the landfill. The blaze, which began on April 26, has consumed over 3.5 lakh litres of water so far. Despite round-the-clock deployment of fire tenders and civic teams working for extended hours, the fire's after-effects remain unabated.

Adding to the crisis, another massive fire broke out at the Dhanwapur garbage dumping site near Khandsa at 3:30am on Tuesday. The blaze reduced nearly four acres of mixed solid waste to ashes a...