Firefighters in the southern Indian city of Kochi have been working to contain smoke from a mountain of garbage that has been burning for five days.

The giant Brahmapuram landfill in Kerala state is the latest mountain of garbage to catch fire in the country, generating dangerous heat and methane emissions and adding to India’s growing climate problems.

The city’s more than 600,000 residents have been advised to stay at home or wear N95 masks when going out, and officials said schools were closed for days last week because of the contamination.

The newspaper pointed out that the cause of last Thursday’s fire in Kerala state has not been determined, but there is no crisis in controlling the fire and it is still surrounded by thick smoke and methane clouds. The area affects visibility and air quality in the city, while their odors also affect people’s health.

Some firefighters fainted from the smoke, fire officials said.

Fire in India

India produces more methane from landmasses than any other country, according to the latest data, which tracks emissions by satellite. Methane is the second most abundant greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, but it also contributes more to the climate crisis because it traps more heat.

And while India wants to reduce methane production, it has not joined the 150 countries that have signed the Global Methane Pledge, an agreement to reduce global emissions by at least 30% between 2020 and 2030. Global temperatures have increased by 0.2% to meet the world’s goal of keeping global warming below 1.5°C.

Terrain

According to a 2020 report by Urban Cooperation International, Brahmapuram is one of the 3,000 landfills in the country spewing out rotting waste and toxic gases and spread over an area of ​​16 acres. European union.