Proposed landfill site: Pre-feasibility study highlights devastating effects on public health

ISLAMABAD: The consultant’s pre- feasibility study on the proposed landfill site at Sangjani, for disposing of garbage of federal capital, highlighted devastating effects on environment, public health, soil, air, ground water contamination and generation of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases.

The consultant report titled pre-feasibility and environmental impact assessment detailed report read out that Solid Waste Management (SWM) refers to the materials discarded in the urban areas for which municipalities are usually held responsible for collection, transport and final disposal. A solid waste encompasses household refuse, institutional wastes, street sweepings, commercial wastes, as well as construction and demolition debris. In developing countries, a solid waste also contains varying amounts of industrial wastes from small industries, as well as dead animals, and facial matter.

The possible adverse effects of inadequate SWM include:

Public Health: Improper solid waste disposal is a serious threat to public health. It represents an even bigger danger because it stands neglected as it degrades and leaks into the earth without any surveillance.

Surface Water Contamination: Changes in the water chemistry due to surface water contamination can affect all levels of an ecosystem. It can impact the health of lower food chain organisms and, consequently, the availability of food up through the food chain. The health of animals and humans are affected when they drink or bathe in contaminated water.

Groundwater contamination: Contaminated groundwater can adversely affect animals, plants and humans if it is removed from the ground by manmade or natural processes. Depending on the geology of the area, groundwater may rise to the surface through springs or seeps, flow laterally into nearby rivers, streams, or ponds, or sink deeper into the earth. In many parts of the world, groundwater is pumped out of the ground to be used for drinking, bathing, other household uses, agriculture, and industry.

Soil contamination: Contaminants in the soil can harm plants when they take up the contamination through their roots. Ingesting, inhaling, or touching contaminated soil, as well as eating plants or animals that have accumulated soil contaminants can adversely impact the health of humans and animals. Exhibit-2.5 includes level of soil contamination in developed countries, industrial and waste disposal significantly contribute towards soil pollution. The impact of soil pollution activities in various global locations is evident from the above exhibit.

Air contamination: Air pollution can cause respiratory problems and other adverse health effects as contaminants are absorbed from the lungs into other parts of the body. When waste is burnt heavy metals like lead, toxic gases and smoke spreads over residential areas. The wind also carries waste, dust and gases caused by decomposition. Putrefaction of waste in sunlight during daytime results in bad smells and reduced visibility.

Leachate: Leachate is the liquid that forms as water trickles through contaminated areas leaching out the chemicals. For example, the leaching of landfill can result in a leachate containing a cocktail of chemicals.

The solid waste generation in Pakistan ranges between 0.283 to 0.612kg/capita/day and the waste generation growth rate is 2.4% per year (Environmental Assessment Report, Stockholm, November 1993), also subsequently endorsed by Pak-EPA in the recent past. In general, municipal solid waste is collected in roadside bins and local municipal authorities (TMAs/Metropolitan Corporations/Development Authorities) collect it infrequently. Fairly around 40% of the generated waste remains either at collection points or in streets. It is a common practice to burn this waste in open. Residential waste is usually collected and transported directly to a landfill site. However, these landfills are not designed properlycausing problems like incomplete decomposition of solid wastes, methane production and leachate contamination of groundwater.

At the collection points, different types of waste are not collected separately, and there is no proper waste collection system either. The containers are mostly transported from one place to another with help of a truck or tractor, which is overflowing and not covered properly. The waste spills out of the container and a lot of it falls in the streets before reaching the landfill site.

Similarly, in certain areas bull and donkey carts are used to collect the solid wastes. The cart goes from street to street picking up the waste and is again not a proper system for waste collection. The resources of the country are inadequate to support their citizens from its own sources.

The report also suggested mitigation measures in its pre-feasibility report but independent environment experts are of the view that these suggested measures are very perfunctory, superficial and not scientifically tested.

On Tuesday’s hearings, the residents were so charged that they rubbished the consultant report. The residents were of the view that if the CDA did not listen their concern they would approach the higher judiciary to stop plans of filing the landsite of Taxila for dumping the garbage of Islamabad.