Landfill Impact on Ground Water

Hyderabad is a major Indian city with a population of more than six million and the extent of solid waste generated from the city is estimated to be 2000 to 2500 tonnes per day. The solid wastes generated in Hyderabad metropolitan areas are major disposed of as landfill in low-lying areas. There has been a serious concern about the contamination of groundwater when the wastes are, thus, disposed. For the present study two landfill sites - Autonagar and Golkonda were selected. The impact of municipal solid waste disposal on groundwater characteristics was investigated by obtaining ten groundwater samples from both sites. The groundwater samples at both the landfills sites were polluted and are unfit for human consumption and domestic use but could be used for irrigation purpose. Overall analyses indicate increasing risk for sustainability of groundwater resources.