After leachate, filth and untreated waste were found at the Dadumajra dumpsite in July this year, the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) cited “mismanagement” in its affidavit attached to the status report sent to the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The CPCC wrote to the commissioner in July of this year regarding mismanagement of leachate generated at the landfill site.
As directed by NGT, the leachate treatment plant must be properly maintained. “There shall be no stagnation of leachates within the building due to effluents when passing through the leachate treatment plant,” one directive says.
However, the CPCC said that according to recent inspections conducted by CPCC officials on July 18 and 25, discrepancies were found at the site.
The inspection team found that there was stagnation of leachate in and around the 300 tons per day wet waste treatment plant, and that leachate was leaking from the boundary wall of the landfill site on the road leading to Toghan village, Punjab. A channel of leachate was also formed next to the wall of the landfill site.
The team also found that the entire area was extremely dirty and that untreated waste was dumped behind the mixed waste processing plant.
“The site where the 26 KLD LTP was installed is not accessible for inspection and sample collection,” the statement attached to the affidavit read.
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“There is no requirement to divert rainwater as the surface runoff on contact with solid waste generated leachate which was flowing into the canal constructed next to Dadumajra Colony and leading to filthy conditions at the end of the dumping site. This may increase pollution of the sewage flowing nearby,” the CPCC team stated.
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation is the executive authority for solid waste management in the city.
“Strict instructions may be issued to all officials concerned to take immediate necessary steps to manage the entire leachate generated from the landfill site without any further delay in case action is not taken as per applicable regulations,” said IFS Saurabh Kumar, Member Secretary, CPCC.
The civic body has taken action on the points pointed out by it, the CPCC said.
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In his response to the CPCC, the executive engineer of the MC in question said, “The wet waste plant is located within the landfill premises where waste is processed/processed on a daily basis. The leachate generated from the wet waste is collected in a drain constructed around the plant which diverts the leachate to a collection tank and the entire leachate is treated in a 100 KL leachate treatment plant on site. The CPCC inspection team indicated stagnation of the leachate around the plant, which is rainwater that has accumulated in parts Low along the plant.
The response added: “Accumulated rainwater/runoff water from the low-lying portion is collected by deploying suction tanks, which operate continuously around the clock. The portion between the wet station and the area along the boundary wall of the landfill has led to saturation of the available unpaved area. To combat the problem of water runoff, suction canals are being deployed round the clock.”
The civic body said that the dumping area is mostly unpaved, and in rainy seasons, there is obstruction in waste treatment and vehicular movement occurs, as a result of which an access area is selected for storing the treatment waste.
The stabilized 26-KLD LTP is best suited for treating leachate generated from SLF. “Due to the heavy rainfall at present, the path constructed using stone aggregate is covered with soil. This has made it slippery and inaccessible. Moreover, the path has been maintained and now the LTP is accessible,” the MC said.
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The civic body stated that the landfill area extends over an area of 45 acres of land, and due to sudden and heavy rainfall, a large amount flows towards the low areas of the landfill.
“To address the problem of rainwater inflow outside the dumping area, suction tanks are being deployed round the clock. An RCC drain is being constructed along the boundary wall of the dumping ground followed by 250 KLD LTP at the tail end to treat the runoff. The inflow of leachate/rainwater from the dumping ground will be completely resolved once the construction of drainage works is completed and after construction of 250 KLD LTP at the tail end of the RCC drain,” the executive engineer replied.
(Tags for translation) Mismanagement of Dadumajra Dump Site
