Muhammad Raees, South Delhi. Mountains of garbage are not only a challenge for MCD, but are also poisoning the earth and the water preserved in its womb. The groundwater around the Okhla, Ghazipur and Bhalswa landfill sites and the Engineered Sanitary Landfill at Bawana have been contaminated. Due to this, about 30 percent of Delhi's population is not able to reach clean water.
At some places the amount of TDS is up to four times more than the standard, while at some places the levels of calcium, sulphate and magnesium are also many times more than the standard. Dainik Jagran's team reached the areas around these landfill sites. The team got supply of yellow, foul smelling water from submersible pumps and at other places, light gray colored water.
Water so dirty that even water purifier fails
The water is so dirty that even the water purifier fails. To drink, people either bring water from far away or buy it. It is used only for washing clothes or utensils. After bathing, problems like itching in the body, skin rashes and hair fall start occurring. The Indore incident has scared people. Leave aside bathing, people have now started shying away from even washing utensils or vegetables.
VP Singh Camp is situated closest to Okhla Landfill site. The population of this four decade old camp is approximately seven thousand. There are six bores for water supply. There are four bores in A and D Block towards Pul Prahladpur, there is also supply of Ganga water for drinking. Whereas people of B and C block are dependent on two bores.
Water causes itching, hair falls
When the bore is run in the morning and evening, yellow and fishy smelling water comes out. This situation has persisted for the last eight years. It is used only for washing utensils and clothes. This causes problems like skin rashes, itching and hair fall after bathing. To drink, people either have to bring water from far away or buy it.
According to local residents, the Water Board took water samples several times on complaint, but what came in the report is not known till date. After complaints from public representatives, Jal Board tankers have started coming here since last one year. They also come sometimes at an interval of two days and sometimes three days. If needed in between, buying remains the only option.
Water has to be bought and drank around Bhalswa.
A large part of the population of Shraddhanand Colony and Bhalswa Dairy area situated next to the Bhalswa landfill site is buying and drinking water. The taps here are spewing contaminated and foul smelling water. The reason for contaminated water coming from the tap is that the water supply lines going to the houses are passing through drains filled with dirty water.
Wherever water supply pipelines are damaged, dirty water from drains gets mixed with the drinking water supply. In such a situation, the possibility of an Indore-like incident cannot be ruled out. Ground water obtained from bore is also not fit for drinking. For the last 12-15 years, people have been buying water and drinking it, or quenching their thirst from Jal Board tankers.
The health of those who are forced to drink tap and underground water often deteriorates. Some people have stomach upset and some have to face skin related problems. People say that they know that the air and water here have been spoiled due to the mountains of garbage, so they avoid consuming underground and tap water as much as possible.
This situation was found near Ghazipur landfill site
Delhi Jal Board supplies water from borewells in Mulla Colony, Rajveer Colony, Kondli, Ghazipur Murga Mandi and Fish Market and Ghazipur Dairy Farm. People have also installed submersible pumps in many areas. There is a problem of contaminated water in these areas.
It is common here for people to get stomach infections after drinking contaminated water. Local people allege that there is foul smell in the water. Forget about drinking, this water is not even used for household purposes.
Jeans dyeing stopped, but effect of chemical still on
There used to be many jeans dyeing factories in Shiv Vihar, including Garhi Mandu village in East Delhi. Due to lack of system to treat water containing chemicals, they kept contaminating the ground water by seeping from pits or underground sources. Due to consumption of water containing chemicals and heavy metals, diseases like cancer started increasing in these areas.
Later these units were closed on court orders. According to people, now the work of dyeing jeans has completely stopped here. But the damage caused to groundwater due to them is still visible. The water is still coming laced with chemicals. There has been a decline in cancer cases, but isolated cases are still being reported.
The amount of heavy metals and pollutants is many times more than the standards.
Ground water near landfill sites Bhalswa, Ghazipur and Okhla as well as the Engineered Sanitary Landfill at Bawana remains contaminated. In December 2021, Delhi Pollution Control Committee had taken samples from four-five places near each landfill site. In the report, the levels of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Calcium, Sulphate and Magnesium were found to be more than the prescribed limits.
Professor of Geology Department of Delhi University. According to Shashank Shekhar, a detailed study is needed to know what problem has been caused to the groundwater by these landfill sites. When it rains, water keeps accumulating among the garbage. Along with this, leachate i.e. concentrated chemical seeps into the groundwater. This increases groundwater pollution in the surrounding area.
Due to Okhla Landfill Site, the surrounding areas like New Friends Colony, Jamia Nagar, Sarita Vihar etc., due to Ghazipur Landfill Site, some sectors of Noida, Khoda, Ghazipur Village, Kondli, Mayur Vihar Phase 3 and due to Bhalswa Landfill Site, the ground water quality of Shalimar Bagh, Pitampura, Burari, Sant Nagar etc. has been affected.
Ground water conditions near the landfill site
(Source-DPCC)(Note- Quantity is mg/l and standard of TDS is 500, sulphate is 200 and manganese is 30)
Hardly a day goes by when contaminated water does not arrive in the area. Many times sewer water gets mixed with Delhi Jal Board water. Due to this, problems like stomach infection, stomach ache and vomiting occur. It takes five to six days to recover. Everyone has installed water purifier in their house.- Shamshad, Mulla Colony. Ground water has been contaminated due to the landfill. Many people have installed submersibles in their homes. They are falling ill after drinking the same contaminated ground water. There is problem in teeth and stomach. I am also suffering from both these diseases. The surrounding area is supplied from borewells instead of the Delhi Jal Board plant.
-Abdul Rehman, Mulla The water coming from the Colonial Board line is also not fit for drinking, often black-yellow colored contaminated and smelly water comes. Submersible has been installed for ground water, but this water is also not fit for drinking. Therefore, we quench our thirst by buying a 40 liter can of water for Rs 50. Ground water is used for bathing, washing utensils and clothes. -Sunil Kumar, Shraddhanand Colony, Bhalswa. The water supply line of the Jal Board coming from Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar often gets damaged, due to which dirty water is supplied to the entire area. In the area, underground water is mostly used for domestic needs. One has to buy water to drink.-Irfan, Durga Chowk, Bhalswa Dairy, water was fine till about eight years ago. After that yellow water started coming with foul smell. Even water purifier is not able to clean it. This causes problems like itching and hair fall while bathing. Therefore, this water is used only for washing utensils and clothes. To drink, we have to buy water from outside. -Amar Jha, VP Singh Camp: On the complaint of the people, till now the Water Board team has taken samples eight times. What is in the water and what is not, was never told. This water is kept in the vessel. When the dirt settles at the bottom, then water is taken out from the top and clothes and utensils are washed with it. - Bhagwan Devi, VP Singh Camp
Also read- Water in Palwal 'poisoned' due to industrial waste, people suffering from cancer and land becoming barren.
Heavy metals have adverse effects on every part of the body. There is a risk of liver and kidney damage from heavy metals like manganese, cobalt, chromium, lead, mercury.
Along with heart related diseases, skin rashes can also occur. Not only this, if these heavy metals continue to reach the body in excess of the standard for a long time, they can also cause fatal diseases like cancer. Excessive amount of sodium causes the problem of high BP. Excess of potassium causes poor kidney function and heart disease.
-Dr. Sanjay Rai, Community Medicine, AIIMS
Recent studies are limited. There is a need for a detailed study of what impact the landfill site has on the surrounding area, only then the real problem will come to light and an action plan can also be made. Among major ions, it is necessary to study the levels of sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, bicarbonate and sulphate. Heavy metal is harmful for health. In such a situation, the levels of manganese, cobalt, chromium, lead, mercury etc. should also be checked. Sampling of ammonia, nitrate etc. is also necessary.