Meghalaya to improve dumping site: Hamletson Dohling

A Correspondent

SHILLONG: Meghalaya State Urban Affairs Minister Hamletson Dohling on Monday told the House that the government has taken steps to improve the dumping site at Marten.

He was replying to a Call Attention Motion taken up by Congress legislator from Mawlai, Process T Sawkmie.

Dohling informed that a sanitary landfill has been developed over an area of 15000 sq feet in two phase, the first phase of which was completed and commissioned in October 2017.

The Urban Affairs Minister informed that the second phase over an area of 8500 sq feet is under progress and expected to be complete by October 2019.

“A sanitary landfill site is an engineered disposal site for the rejects. The bottom of the landfill consists of a 900 mm layer of compacted clay or geo-synthetic clay and a layer of an HDPE geo membrane, which would prevent the seepage of the liquid into the ground which would have contaminated the ground water,” Dohling said.

He said that all such liquid will be collected through engineered piping and bedding system and collected in a holding tank where it will be treated up to effluent standard of Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board Standard.

The Urban Affairs Minister also pointed out that a layer of 300 mm coarse sand covers up the top. Thereafter the rejects of solid waste are deposited in layers. After depositing the rejects of solid waste a layer of earth is spread on top of the waste each day.

“This process prevents any pollution and odour coming from the waste deposits,” Dohling said.

He also said that highly scientific way of transporting the waste to the landfill site is adopted where the vehicles coming into the landfill site are completely covered compactor vehicles that are non-polluting vehicles.

“After the life span of eight years the landfill site is proposed to be covered up and reclaimed for plantations, parks etc., thereby creating a new landscape,” he said.

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