IMPACT OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LEACHATE ON SOIL AND GROUND WATER QUALITY IN AND AROUND THE CHIDAMBARAM, TAMIL NADU, INDIA

One of the most serious faced today by artificial pollution of an environment which includes soil and water pollution. Water and soil is an essential component for the survival organism. Due to rapid increase in population and industrialization there is increase in solid waste generation and it is disposed by dumping on land. Proper municipal solid waste management is not practiced in Chidambaram. Chidambaram municipality collects the MSW from 33 wards inclusive of village panchayats and dumps in open areas at Thandeswaranalur which is 3kms from the city. These dumping areas are close a fertile land.

This paper aims at study of polluted water and soil due to municipal solid waste in and around the Chidambaram. The quality of ground water and soil of different depths for several parameters of soil like pH, EC, N, P, K and water characteristics such as turbidity, total solids, electrical conductivity, pH, hardness, nitrate, chloride, fluoride and sulphate content estimated.