Environmental crisis due to overflowing garbage dump in southern Quintana Roo

The intermunicipal landfill located on the Cafetal-Mahahual highway, about 85 kilometers from Chetumal, Quintana Roo, has reached capacity and is facing a critical situation, according to local residents.

Shared by the municipalities of Bacalar and Othón P. Blanco, the site is operating at its limit, and it is warned that it is resorting to systematic burning of waste as a desperate measure to prevent overflow.

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Residents and workers report that the fires are not accidental, but rather part of a daily practice. "When it doesn't burn on its own, they set it on fire. They throw garbage on top of the fire to help it burn out," one resident said in a recorded conversation.

Another witness said that complaints to the authorities have been ignored: "Here, we report when something burns, but since it happens every day, they don't even pay attention."

Although the landfill is operated by the Othón P. Blanco municipality, its direct administration falls under the jurisdiction of the Mahahual mayor's office. Mayor Fernando Hernández reported that they have already officially notified Othón P. Blanco of the emergency, but due to the lack of response, they have begun to intervene with their own resources.

"We are mobilizing local machinery to clear the way and continue using the site on a temporary basis," he said.

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The landfill has an 80-by-80-meter cell and a leachate lagoon constructed of special materials . However, the overload of waste threatens to cause its collapse.

The communities of Mahahual, Xcalak, and Costa Maya together generate up to 14 tons of garbage daily, which has accelerated the deterioration of infrastructure.

Community leaders demanded immediate intervention by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (SEMA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (PPA) , arguing that the lack of investment, maintenance, and oversight has turned the site into an "environmental time bomb."

"This is piling up, and if it's not addressed, we're going to have a bigger crisis," warned one resident.

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The situation has also affected local recyclers, who were previously able to recover useful materials and reduce the volume of waste. " Now they don't let us in, and everything is piling up uncontrollably ," they lamented.

Neighbors agree that the current administration has neglected the landfill's management, unlike previous administrations who, with limited resources, maintained surveillance and cleanliness.

"Before, when Alexander Zetina was mayor of Bacalar, there was a certain order. Today, this is an uncontrolled dump," denounced Daniel Córdoba, a former security guard at the site.

In addition to the environmental and public health risks, burning waste violates the Law for the Prevention, Comprehensive Management, and Circular Economy of Waste in the state of Quintana Roo.

Article 21, Section VII, expressly prohibits this practice. Burning waste releases pollutants that affect air quality and the coastal ecosystem.