RMC landfill spoiling water in Rajkot suburbs

The several abandoned quarries in the region have been used as landfills by RMC for over two years now. Daily hundreds of tonnes of garbage is dumped here to level them.

During monsoon rain water fills the quarries. It mixes with the garbage and percolates through the land reaching the aquifers underground.

The areas situated around the dumping site like Ranujanagar, Tirupatinagar, Ganeshnagar, Shramjivi Society, Housing Board and other adjoining areas have started getting yellow, stinking water for the last two months from their hand-pumps and deep wells.

Babubhai bharward, a resident of Kothariya, says water from their hand pump stinks so badly that even cattle refuse to drink. 8220;We can8217;t even think of washing our face with this water,8221; he said.

Rajubhai Chauhan, who resides beside the dumping site, says that a few months ago the water they obtained from hand pumps was potable but now the colour of water totally changed. 8220;The first few buckets of water are yellow and the later ones blackish-yellow8221;.

Kothariya sarpanch Dhirubhai Ramani blames the contamination of ground water on the landfills. He says ground water has became contaminated for the next 15 to 20 years according to experts of the Water Supply amp; Sewerage Board. Besides, the landfill was spreading diseases in the area, he complained. Doctors in the area bear out his complaint.

Ramani said the villagers made representations to both the Rajkot Urban Development Authority RUDA and RMC. While RUDA heard them out and offered some succour, RMC turned a deaf ear, he said.

Ramani said that since it was evident from one look at the water that it was contaminated, RUDA immediately started supplying water by tanker. But the villagers are not satisfied as they don8217;t get enough water and have to fetch it from where the tankers stop. Then RUDA agreed to lay pipes in the area provided RMC would supply water. However, RMC, already hard-pressed for water, has refused to do so as the area is out of corporation limits.

The damage is done but the dumping continues.

Ramani said officials of the district collectorate and Gujarat Pollution Control Board had taken samples of the contaminated water. But nothing has yet been done.

While no other reason for the contamination seems likely, RMC officials have denied that the landfill could be the cause.