Specifications for Landfill Sites

Site Selection

In areas falling under the jurisdiction of 'Development Authorities, it shall be the responsibility of such Development Authorities to identify the landfill sites and hand over the sites to the concerned municipal authority for development, operation and maintenance.  Elsewhere, this responsibility shall lie with the concerned municipal authority.

Selection of land fill sites shall be based on examination of environmental issues.  The Department of Urban Development of the State or the Union Territory shall co-ordinate with the concerned organisations for obtaining the necessary approvals and clearances.

The landfill site shall be planned and designed with proper documentation of a phased construction plan as well as a closure plan.

The landfill sites shall be selected to make use of nearby wastes processing facility.  Otherwise, wastes processing facility shall be planned as an integral part of the landfill site.

The existing landfill sites which continue to be used for more than five years shall be improved in accordance of the specifications given in this Schedule.

Biomedical wastes shall be disposed off in accordance with the Bio-medical Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998 and hazardous wastes shall be managed in accordance with the Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling Rules, 1989), as amended from time to time.

The landfill site shall be large enough to last for 20-25 years.

The landfill site shall be away from habitation clusters, forest areas, water bodies, monuments, National Parks, Wetlands and places of important cultural, historical or religious interest.

A buffer zone of no-development shall be maintained around landfill site and shall be incorporated in the Town Planning Department's land use plans.

Landfill site shall be away from airport including airbase.  Necessary approval for airport or airbase authorities prior to the setting up of the landfill site shall be obtained in cases where the site is to be located within 20 km of an airport or airbase.

Facilities at the Site

Land fill site shall be fenced or hedged and provided with proper gate to monitor incoming vehicles or other modes of transportation.

The landfill site shall be well protected to prevent entry of unauthorised persons and stray animals.

Approach and other internal roads for free movement of vehicles and other machinery shall exist at the landfill site.

The land fill site shall have wastes inspection facility to monitor wastes brought in for landfill, office facility for record keeping and shelter for keeping equipment and machinery including pollution monitoring equipments.

Provisions like weigh bridge to measure quantity of waste brought at landfill site, fire protection equipments and other facilities as may be required shall be provided.

Utilities such as drinking water (preferably bathing facilities for workers) and lighting arrangements for easy landfill operations when carried out in night hours shall be provided.

Safety provisions including health inspections of workers at landfill site shall be periodically made.

Specification for land filling

Waste subjected to land filling shall be compacted in thin layers using landfill compactors to achieve high density of the wastes.  In high rainfall areas where heavy compactors can not be used, alternative measures shall be adopted.

Wastes shall be covered immediately or at the end of each working day with minimum 10cm of soil, inert debris or construction material till such time waste processing facilities for composting or recycling or energy recovery are set up as per Schedule-I.

Prior to the commencement of monsoon season, an intermediate cover of 40-65 cm thickness of soil shall be placed on the land-fill with proper compaction and grading to prevent infiltration during monsoon.  Proper drainage berms shall be constructed to divert run-off away from the active cell of the landfill.

After completion of landfill, a final cover shall be designed to minimize infiltration and erosion.  The final cover shall meet the following specifications, namely:-

(a)

The final cover shall have a barrier soil layer comprising of 60 cms of clay or amended soil with permeability coefficient less that 1x10^-7 cm/sec.

(b)

On top of the barrier soil layer, there shall be a drainage layer of 15 cm.

(c)

On top of the drainage layer, there shall be a vegetative layer of 45 cm to support natural plant growth and to minimize erosion.

Pollution prevention

In order to prevent pollution problems from landfill operations, the following provisions shall be made, namely:-

(a)

Diversion of storm water drains to minimize leachate generation and prevent pollution of surface water and also for avoiding flooding and creation of marshy conditions;

(b)

Construction of a non-permeable lining system at the base and walls of waste disposal area.  For landfill receiving residues of waste processing facilities or mixed waste or waste having contamination of hazardous materials (such as aerosols, bleaches, polishes, batteries, waste oils, paint products and pesticides) minimum liner specifications shall be a composite barrier having 1.5 mm high density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane, or equivalent, overlying 90 cm of soil (clay or amended soil) having permeability coefficient not greater than 1x10^-7 cm/sec.  The highest level of water table shall be at least two meter below the base of clay or amended soil barrier layer;

(c)

Provisions for management of leachates collection and treatment shall be made.  The treated leachates shall meet the standards specified in Schedule-IV;

(d)

Prevention of run-off from landfill area entering any stream, river, lake or pond.

Water Quality Monitoring

Before establishing any land fill site, baseline date of ground water quality in the area shall be collected and kept in record for future reference.  The ground water quality within 50 meters of the periphery of landfill site shall be periodically monitored to ensure that the ground water is not contaminated beyond acceptable limit as decided by the Ground Water Board or the State Board or the Committee.  Such monitoring shall be carried out to cover different seasons in a year that is, summer, monsoon and post-monsoon period.

Usage of ground water in and around land fill sites for any purpose (including drinking and irrigation) is to be considered after ensuring its quality.  The following specifications for drinking water quality shall apply for monitoring purposes, namely:-

Ambient Air Quality Monitoring

Installation of landfill gas control system including gas collection system shall be made at landfill site to minimize odour generation, prevent off-site migration of gases and to protect vegetation planted on the rehabilitated landfill surface.

The concentration of methane gas generated at landfill site shall not exceed 25 percent of the lower explosive limit (LEL).

The landfill gas from the collection facility at a landfill site shall be utilized for either direct thermal applications or power generation, as per viability.  Otherwise, landfill gas shall be burnt (flared) and shall not be allowed to directly escape to the atmosphere or for illegal tapping.   Passive venting shall be allowed if its utilization or flaring is not possible.

Ambient air quality at the landfill site and at the vicinity shall be monitored to meet the following specified standards, namely:-

The ambient air quality monitoring shall be carried out by the concerned authority as per the following schedule, namely:-

Six times in a year for cities having population of more than fifty lakhs;

Four times in a year for cities having population between ten and fifty lakhs;

Two times in a year for town or cities having population between one and ten lakhs.

Plantation at Landfill Site

A vegetative cover shall be provided over the complete site in accordance with the following specifications, namely:-

Selection of locally adopted non-edible perennial plants that are resistant to drought and extreme temperature shall be allowed to grow;

The plants grown be such that their roots do not penetrate more than 30 cms.  This condition shall apply till the landfill is stabilised;

Selected plants shall have ability to thrive on low-nutrient soil with minimum nutrient addition;

Plantation to be made in sufficient density to minimize soil erosion.

Closure of Landfill Site and Post-care

The post closure care of land fill site shall be conducted for at least fifteen years and long term monitoring or care plan shall consist of the following, namely:-

Maintaining the integrity and effectiveness of final cover, making repairs and preventing run-on and run-off from eroding or otherwise damaging the final cover;

Monitoring leachate collection system in accordance with the requirement;

Monitoring of ground water in accordance with requirements and maintaining ground water quality;

Maintaining and operating the landfill gas collection system to meet the standards.

Use of closed landfill sites after fifteen years of post-closure monitoring can be considered for human settlement or otherwise only after ensuring that gaseous and leachate analysis comply with the specified standards.

Special provisions for hilly areas

Cities and towns located on hills shall have location-specific methods evolved for final disposal of solid wastes by the municipal authority with the approval of the concerned State Board or the Committee.  The municipal authority shall set up processing facilities for utilization of biodegradable organic wastes.  The inert and non-biodegradable waste shall be used for building roads or filling-up of appropriate areas on hills.  Because of constraints in finding adequate land in hilly areas, wastes not suitable for road-laying or filling up shall be disposed of in specially designed landfills.