GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION FROM LANDFILL LEACHATES - AN ANALYSIS FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Abstract

The waste generation in developing countries is going to increase due to rapid growth in urbanization and
industrialization. In India, per person per day waste generation is about 0.65 kg. The waste generated in India was 1.80
billion tons per year and 1.75 billion tons was in Indonesia. The problems are mainly started due to the non-segregation
of the wet and dry solid wastes, the composition of the solid waste dumping at the landfill sites as well as poor
management of the landfill sites. The composition of the solid waste, as well as the rainfall conditions at a location, mainly
determine the characteristics and composition of the leachates coming out from these landfill sites. In both countries, the
management of the collection of the leachates from these sites affects the groundwater and thus, is a very important
aspect for minimizing the adverse effects on groundwater quality. The management of leachates from landfill sites is
different for India and Indonesia; as in some countries specialized technologies and practices are adopted for their
management while in others, they are poorly managed. In this paper, a comparative scenario has been presented
regarding the groundwater contamination from the leachates from the landfill sites located India and Indonesia. From
this study, it was found that the unscientifically design of landfill and absence of liner allow leachate to percolate into the
ground and contaminate the groundwater. The various factors affecting the groundwater contaminations from the
leachates were also examined and it was found that the landfill sites in both the countries were not managed effectively. It
was also revealed that the scientific disposal of the mixture of the solid waste was also not practiced.