When planning to invest in a residential property, it is essential to examine the property from different aspects. While infrastructure, amenities and legal documents are of high importance, environmental quality also requires adequate consideration, mainly when a property is near a landfill.
With metros expanding to accommodate more migrants each year, solid waste disposal has become a grave concern. Untreated waste, when disposed of on landfill sites, releases harmful gases that can cause lung cancer. Researches show that Hydrogen Sulphide is the main byproduct of landfills. The gas is hazardous for humans, particularly children. It not only impacts the respiratory organs but weakens the immune system, too. Besides, there are several other downsides associated with living near a landfill.
Here are a few disadvantages of living near a landfill site
Poor water quality
The toxic gases from the rotten trash fuse with the groundwater and produce leachate, i.e. a poisonous sludge that seeps into the ground and mixes with the water underneath. The contaminated water, if not treated well, becomes a part of the water supplied in the area. Generally, landfill sites have pipes that are designated to collect leachate and prevent it from contaminating the groundwater; however, as pipes deteriorate with time, the chances of leachate polluting the usable water supply increase. Therefore, contaminated water supply is one of the significant downsides of residing near a landfill.
Methane gas build-up
Another major disadvantage of a landfill in the vicinity is the release of methane gas. The process of compacting landfill waste generates methane gas, which is known to be 21 times more hazardous than carbon dioxide. Methane is highly inflammable and exposes the people living around to the risk of an explosion.
A similar case occurred a few years back in Bangalore’s Bellandur Lake. Sprawling over 900 acres, the lake caught fire owing to the production of methane gas. Nearly 500 million litres of untreated sewage water was released into the lake each day. After being left untreated for a long, the resultant froth, methane and the oil layer combusted the lake for days, causing severe problems to the people living in the vicinity.
Contaminated air
As mentioned before, landfill sites emit poisonous gases such as Hydrogen Sulphide, which severely impacts respiratory organs and can cause lung cancer. Children are more at risk, with an 11 percent chance of being admitted to hospital for respiratory problems and a higher chance of 13 percent for asthma. Besides, dumping sites release many other toxins that contaminate water, air and soil.
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Reduced ROI
Property near a landfill might witness lower Returns on Investment (ROI). Primarily, it is difficult to find a buyer, and secondly, a dump near the property acts as a growth deterrent. Typically, houses close to such sites witness limited demand and thereby limited price appreciation. Going by records, a landfill can depreciate the property price by 20-30 percent and may impact the property sale considerably.
In India, Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) is governed by the Municipal Solid Waste Rules (MSWR), 2000. However, most urban local bodies do not have appropriate action plans in place for the execution and enactment of the MSWR. Unfortunately, no city in India can claim 100 percent segregation of waste near dwellings. On average, urban local bodies collect only 70 percent of the waste, while the remaining 30 percent is again mixed up and gets lost in the urban environment. Of the total waste collected, only around 13 percent of waste is scientifically processed, and the rest is disposed of in open dumps.
The chances of the above problems are higher when buying property near a landfill. Therefore, the only feasible solution is to conduct proper research and avoid localities that have dumping sites in the vicinity.
