Municipal solid waste disposal in Pune city – An analysis of air and groundwater pollution

The urban centres of India produce 120,000 t of solid waste per day. The unscientific disposal of solid waste creates many environmental and pollution problems. The 1000–1200 t of solid waste in Pune municipal area is disposed at Urali-Devachi village. This communication reveals the problems of air and groundwater pollution caused due to unscientific disposal of solid waste observed at Urali-Devachi village. The average annual emission of SPM found at the disposal site is 1708.3 μg/m³. The average annual emission of SO₂ in landfill site is 285.33 μg/m³ and NOx is 234.07 μg/m³. The SPM, SO₂ and NOx concentrations are more than those stipulated by the Indian standard limit. The leachate samples are acidic and corrosive in nature. The COD and BOD of tested well-water samples III and IV are 834, 703 mg/l and 716, 412.16 mg/l respectively. The concentration of sodium in well-water samples III and IV is 2437 and 2612 mg/l respectively. The COD, BOD and sodium concentration in well water are higher than the limits of IS: 2291. Rag-pickers, workers, vehicle drivers, and those residing in the nearby areas are continuously exposed to air pollution. It has been found that leachates originate from solid waste landfill-contaminated groundwater. Well water found in Urali-Devachi village is not safe for drinking, outdoor bathing, propagation of aquatic life, industrial cooling and for irrigation. If this municipal solid waste landfill continues, it may create a toxic bomb in future. Conversion technology entailing conversion of solid waste to energy is proving helpful for decomposing solid waste without affecting the environment. Also, the community-based solid waste decomposition is an ideal and a safe disposal method, biological decomposition of segregated organic waste is more beneficial for solid waste management, as it easily converts waste to valuable fertilizer.