Hyderabad landfill ranks among world's top methane emitters

Hyderabad: A major Hyderabad landfill has been named the world's fourth biggest methane polluter, according to new University of California Los Angeles research.

The Jawahar Nagar site emits 5.9 tonnes of methane hourly—equivalent to one million SUVs' climate impact—placing it just behind an Argentine dump, per UCLA's STOP Methane Project analysing satellite data from 18 countries.

Mumbai's Kanjurmarg landfill ranks 12th at 4.9 tonnes per hour. Both Indian sites feature among the top 25 global hotspots, with emissions ranging 3.6-7.6 tonnes hourly.

Methane, 86 times more potent than CO2 at trapping heat, drives over 45% of recent warming. High-emission dumps span developed and developing nations, including three each in Brazil and Chile, and one each in the US, Indonesia, and others.