Capping or Ground - Zero: What has the Closure of Ahmedabad’s Pirana Dumpsite Taught Us?-The Resident’s Perspective

Dumpsite are often most neglected public infrastructure in all our cities today. Largely because it entails least development and operation cost required among all the types of solid waste disposal and thus it is the most prevalent type of disposal facility also in most countries today. With time as these landfill sites have grown in size and their environmental implications the closing and upgradation has emerged as an essential step in reducing serious public health impacts. Landfills by definition are sited designated for dumping rubbish, garbage, or other sorts of non-reducible solid waste. With the increasing amount of waste from our homes. offices, hospitals, markets and schools it is high time that this issue of waste dumping is handled in a scientific manner. However, despite many attempts to manage our wastes most communities and cities leave the landfill sites unattended which causes severe land pollution, degradation of ground water and an uncontrolled built up of all sorts of solid waste material. Since most of these wastes are non-biodegradable they heap in landfills and stay there for years. The scenario gets even worse when these landfill sites are used beyond their prescribed capacity causing unbearable stench and serious health risks which can be gastrointestinal, dermatological, respiratory and even genetic in nature.