Hyderabad landfill among world’s top methane emitters: Study

Hyderabad: A landfill in the city has been flagged as one of the world’s largest sources of methane emissions.

A recent study by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) found that two Indian landfill sites — Jawahar Nagar in Hyderabad and Kanjurmarg in Mumbai — rank among the top 25 methane-emitting waste sites globally.

The findings, part of UCLA’s STOP Methane Project, examined waste facilities across 18 countries. Using satellite data from 2025, researchers recorded methane emissions ranging between 3.6 and 7.6 tonnes per hour at these locations.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, around 86 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat, and is responsible for over 45% of recent global warming.

The Jawahar Nagar landfill in Hyderabad ranked fourth worldwide, emitting 5.9 tonnes of methane per hour, while Mumbai’s Kanjurmarg site was placed 12th with emissions of 4.9 tonnes per hour. The study noted that a landfill releasing 5 tonnes of methane hourly has a climate impact comparable to one million SUVs.

Topping the list is a landfill in Argentina’s Buenos Aires Province, which emits 7.6 tonnes per hour. The report added that such high-emission sites exist across both developed and developing nations.

Brazil and Chile have three such sites each, while India, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey have two apiece. Other countries with one site each include Algeria, Argentina, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United States.