Mumbai civic body to erect a wall to control leachate from Deonar

The BMC is planning to erect a boundary wall near Thane creek with the help of synthetic vinyl sheets to prevent the discharge of hazardous leachate generated from Deonar dumping ground. The wall is also meant to help the civic body in preventing the collapse of garbage mounds on the creek side, which flows adjacent to the dumping ground.

Leachate is a contaminated liquid generated from water percolating through a solid waste disposal site. It contaminates ground and surface water as it contains high concentration of hazardous organic chemicals like ammonia nitrogen and heavy metals.

“The separated leachate will be moved to some other location for further treatment. This will also help in the possibility of the collapse of garbage mounds either on creekside or on landfill area,” Suresh Kakani, Additional Municipal Commissioner in the BMC informed The Indian Express.

According to officials from the SWM department, work will be taken up in two phases. In the first phase, about 1 km area abutting the creek will be covered with synthetic sheet piling. After that, in the second phase, another 1 km will be taken up. The BMC plans to go 23 meters deeper from the ground level for the piling to prevent any percolation of leachate and collapse of garbage, which could be triggered due to fast-moving creek streams.

The BMC is awaiting a nod from Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) to proceed.

Picture Credit: Vegpuff, Bombay Municipal Corporation, CC BY-SA 2.0