New Delhi, July 10 -- Delhi's three towering landfill sites at Ghazipur, Bhalswa and Okhla are emerging as one of the capital's biggest environmental and public health challenges, with toxic leachate contaminating groundwater and hazardous gases polluting the air, posing serious health risks to residents living nearby.

People residing around the landfill sites allege that contaminated groundwater, persistent foul odour and constant exposure to toxic emissions have become part of their daily lives, while environmental experts warn that the crisis could worsen without urgent scientific waste management measures.

At Baleshwar Dairy Farm near the Bhalswa landfill, residents claim groundwater drawn through borewells has turned yellow, foul-smelling and unfit for drinking or domestic use. Similar complaints have been raised by people living near the Ghazipur landfill, where residents say the stench has made normal life difficult and respiratory and waterborne illnesses have become increasingly common.

Environmentalist Dr Manu Singh said landfill sites gradually develop into toxic ecosystems that contaminate groundwater with heavy metals, ammonia, disease-causing microorganisms and harmful organic chemicals. They also release methane, hydrogen sulphide and other hazardous gases that significantly degrade air quality, increasing the risk of respiratory illnesses, skin diseases, neurological disorders and certain cancers.

According to a 2025 report submitted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Delhi generates nearly 11,852 tonnes of solid waste every day. Of this, only 7,585.28 tonnes - around 64 per cent - is scientifically processed or recycled, while the remaining 4,266.72 tonnes is dumped at landfill sites. Experts have called for scientific waste segregation, improved recycling, effective leachate treatment, methane capture and stronger groundwater protection, warning that the city's landfill crisis has become a major public health emergency.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.