Hyderabad: A study published recently by a researcher from Osmania University’s environmental science department has proven, if proof was needed, that the groundwater around the Jawaharnagar dumping yard is unsuitable for drinking due to thousands of metric tonnes of waste being dumped there daily for 10 years, and because of lack of initiative in checking the leachate seepage into the groundwater.
Leachate is the liquid which is secreted from rotting garbage and contains contaminants like chloride, nitrate, dissolved solids and fluoride. Researcher B. Soujanya Kamble collected groundwater samples from 12 locations in a radius of 1-5 km from the dumping yard. It was found that the dissolved solid, chloride and nitrate levels were at “alarming levels”, far exceeding the standards prescribed by the World Health Organisation.
The researcher also calculated the water quality index for all samples as prescribed by WHO and found that most of the groundwater samples fell into the category of “unsuitable” and “poor”.
Ms Kamble said, “People complained of skin problems, orthopaedic deformities and burning of eyes. One woman brought to me photographs to show change in her skin colour. I was also shocked to see a groundwater sample collected 10 metres away from the dumping yard looked like diluted leachate."
Groundwater samples were collected from Malkaram, YSR Nagar, Haridaspally and Ahmedguda which are a kilometre away from the dumping yard, Indiramma Junc-tion, Dammaiguda and Gabbilalpet (2 km away), Cheeriyal, Kundanpally, Yadgarpally (4 km away), Nagaram and Godumkunta (5 km away).
