Garbage fire in India so big it can be seen from space

[A fire so powerful it can be seen from space/NASA]

A garbage fire, so large that it could be seen from space, has forced India’s largest city to rethink how it deals with its vast quantities of waste.

Some schools in the area were forced to close over because of the massive blaze at the garbage dump in the suburban city of Deonar.

It wasn’t until this past Monday that the flames finally abated.

The fire is likely to re-ignite debate about how to effectively manage a pile of waste that can stand as high as a five story building, reports The Indian Express.

Although the cause of the fire is still unknown, the paper quotes one waste management expert who says he suspects the blaze could have been ignited by methane gas, and compounded by the poorly-maintained conditions of the landfill.

“Deonar dumping ground has exceeded all limits of garbage without any kind of treatment,” said S.R. Maley, a waste management expert. “The main cause of the fire is the methane gas, and one day it can just explode and kill people.”The dump in Deonar is a sprawling wasteland that stretches about 132 hectares and is situated close to middle-class housing communities.