Around 40 residents from the Chembur area resorted to a hunger strike on Monday to protest against the frequent fire and smoke at the Deonar dumping ground. Residents, including some doctors, claimed that the daily fire in the dumping ground has resulted in respiratory diseases like bronchitis and asthma among the people in and around the locality. "The civic body has failed to take any action on this issue. Till now, we had to suffer because of the stink but the problems are getting worse with the smoke and increasing health hazards,' said Dr Neelam Rane, vice-president of Smoke Affected Residents Forum (SARF). Reportedly around 2.5 lakh residents from Chembur, Ghatkopar and Vashi are affected because of the activities at the dumping ground. Dr Rane also said that the BMC's proposal of installing incinerator for treating biomedical waste at Deonar will worsen the problems for citizens. "There will be toxic fumes through the treatment of biomedical waste and this will be even more hazardous,' she said. The residents claim that as per the affidavit filed in Bombay High Court, BMC was to install a garbage recycle unit, station fire engines and restrict entry of people. "The BMC has not acted on the affidavit and undertaken any short-term or long-term measures including fencing of the dumping ground. Unrestricted entry in the ground, especially of rag pickers, is resulting in more toxic fumes,' he said. "We just want the dumping ground to be closed immediately,' he added. The residents have threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike if the BMC did not initiate measures within one month to prevent encroachment and station fire engines. When contacted, Additional Municipal Commissioner R A Rajeev who oversees the solid waste management said that it is a well-known fact that Deonar dumping ground is a