Indian Landfills Among Top Methane Super-Emitters

Two landfill sites in Telangana and Maharashtra have been listed among the world’s top 25 methane “super-polluters” in 2025, according to the report “Spotlight on the Top 25 Methane Plumes in 2025: Landfills” by UCLA’s STOP Methane Project. The findings highlight the growing climate and public health risks linked to landfill emissions, especially in rapidly urbanising regions where unmanaged waste generates large methane plumes.

What the Report Found

The report identified 25 landfill sites across 18 countries with the highest methane emission rates detected from space. Satellite data from Carbon Mapper tracked nearly 3,000 methane plumes from over 700 waste sites worldwide. The listed facilities emitted between 3.6 and 7.5 tonnes of methane per hour. A landfill near Buenos Aires, Argentina, was found to be the highest emitter globally, releasing around 7.6 tonnes per hour.

Why Methane Emissions Matter

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with a much stronger short-term warming effect than carbon dioxide. According to the report, a single landfill releasing 5 tonnes of methane per hour has a climate impact equal to nearly one million SUVs. Since these emissions often occur near densely populated urban centres, they also worsen air quality and create serious public health concerns through increased ground-level ozone formation.

India’s Waste Sector and Mitigation Potential

The United Nations Environment Programme has estimated that the waste sector contributes around 20 per cent of global human-caused methane emissions. India holds the world’s largest methane mitigation potential in this sector due to its scale of municipal waste generation. Measures such as organic waste segregation, landfill gas capture and waste-to-energy recovery can significantly reduce emissions and are considered cost-effective climate interventions.

Important Facts for Exams

• Methane is a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term.
• Landfills release methane mainly through decomposition of organic waste in anaerobic conditions.
• Carbon Mapper uses satellite technology to detect methane plumes from industrial and waste sources.
• UNEP stands for United Nations Environment Programme.

Global Push for Faster Landfill Reforms

The report aims to push landfill operators and governments to act faster by making methane emissions publicly visible. Countries such as Brazil, Chile, Turkey and India have multiple sites on the top-emitter list. Researchers note that some landfill operators in Chile have already started corrective measures after being identified in earlier reports. For India, stricter waste management systems and continuous monitoring will be crucial to reduce methane pollution and improve both climate resilience and urban public health.