The Water and Sanitation Programis an international partnership forimproving water and sanitation sectorpolicies, practices, and capacities toserve poor people

April 2008

Info Note

Secured Landfills

The Bucket at the End of theSolid Waste Management Chain

Can’t We Treat or RecycleAll Waste, and Do Withouta Secured Landfill?Experience in India and across theworld has shown that it is not possibleto treat or recycle all the waste.Landfill sites are required to disposeof rejects, that is, waste that cannot be

other components of a wastemanagement system. For instance,in case of a malfunction in thetreatment facility or unusual peaks inthe waste stream (festivals, publicevents, heavy rains, naturaldisasters), the excess waste can besafely disposed of at the securedlandfill.

What is a Regional Landfill?A ‘regional landfill’ refers to acommon landfill for a cluster ofmunicipalities. It allows for thedevelopment of a single, large facilityinstead of many small landfills dottingthe landscape. A single regionallandfill could cater to as many as15–20 municipalities.

Being relatively large in size, regionallandfills offer several advantages:■ Significant lowering of construction

and operating costs per ton ofwaste (by as much as 60–80percent).

■ Sharing of fixed costs across alarger number of municipalities.

■ Better quality of operations usingmodern equipment (typicallyusable only in large facilities).

■ Hiring of appropriate professionalexpertise.

■ Development of a proper greenbelt around the facility to serve asa visual barrier.

■ Significant lowering in landrequirement per ton of waste(because with a larger land area, itis possible to landfill up to agreater height—up to 40–50meters and even higher in somecases). Figure 5 provides anillustration of this point.

While large tracts of land may not beavailable within or near municipalboundaries, these may be acquired inrelatively less developed areaslocated at some distance frommunicipalities, up to even 50–60 km

April 2008

WSP MISSION:To help the poor gain sustained access towater and sanitation services.

WSP FUNDING PARTNERS:The Governments of Australia, Austria,Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland,Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway,Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, theUnited States of America, the United NationsDevelopment Programme, The World Bank,and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

AusAID provides WSP-SA programmaticsupport.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:This information note was reviewedby Catherine Revels, Shubhagato Dasgupta,Shafiul Azam Ahmed, Prof Manoj Datta(IIT-Delhi), and A. N. Purandare(Eco-Designs Ltd).

AUTHORS:Vandana Bhatnagar and Sanjay K. Gupta

Editor: Anjali Sen GuptaPictures by: Asit Nema and Vandana BhatnagarCreated & printed by: Roots Advertising Services Pvt Ltd

The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed are entirely those of the authors and should not be attributed in anymanner to The World Bank, to its affiliated organizations, or to members of its Board of Executive Directors or thecompanies they represent.

away. The additional transportationcosts are usually offset by the costsavings as described in theadvantages.

Regional landfills are being used notonly in developed countries such asthe United States, the UnitedKingdom, Germany, Sweden, andPoland, but also in developingcountries such as Argentina, Brazil,Mexico, Palestine, and Egypt. In India,the approach is being adopted in thestates of Gujarat, West Bengal, andAndhra Pradesh; others, such asTamil Nadu, Kerala, and Maharashtraare also considering adopting thisapproach.

The Bottom LineIndia is growing rapidly, and wastegeneration is growing at between twoor three times the rate of populationgrowth. The ‘out of sight, out of mind’approach has to be replaced by amature understanding of the ill effectsof poor waste management. Alongwith necessary efforts to reduce,recycle, and reuse waste, citizens anddecisionmakers need to urgentlyunderstand that secured landfills arean essential element of a completesolid waste management chain. Theyneed to work towards introducingwell-designed and efficientlymanaged secured landfills that arenot seen as an environmental evil butas an essential means forsafeguarding public health and theenvironment.

Figure 5: Increase in Landfill Height for Bigger Landfill Area

reused, composted or recycled. Thereare many waste processing methodssuch as composting, biomethanation,and incineration which help to reducethe amount of waste. Ultimately,however, there is a remaining wastestream consisting of rejects orresidues (for instance,nonbiodegradable rejects from acompost facility, ash from a RefuseDerived Fuel facility) that needs to bedisposed safely at a landfill.

In addition, secured landfillsserve as a necessary backup to

Isn’t a Secured Landfill aWasteful Use of Land?Secured landfills are a necessaryrequirement for any urban area.However, making land available forsuch a landfill does not imply thatthereafter it cannot be used for anyother purpose. As mentioned earlier,landfills are developed in phases. Ifthe efficiency of recycling and wastetreatment improves over time, it ispossible to reduce the land providedfor subsequent landfill cells, orreallocate it for additional treatment

Figure 4: Secured Landfill in Navi Mumbai: Tree Plantation on Closed Cell

capacity. After closure, the landfillarea can be restored for other uses,for example, parks, golf courses, andeven human habitation (if thenecessary safeguards have beentaken).

Do We Have SecuredLandfills in India?There are only a few landfill sites inIndia. These too came up after theMunicipal Solid Waste Rules, 2000,came into being. The first fewsecured landfills in India were builtaround 2004–05 in cities like NaviMumbai, Bangalore, Surat, andAhmedabad. Most cities, includingthe metros—Delhi, Mumbai, andKolkata—still do not have proper andscientifically designed securedlandfills. Instead the norm isuncontrolled disposal at opendumpsites (typically in low lying areas)which are sources of severe pollution.Several landfills are now beingdeveloped across the country, not onlyin the metros but also in smaller citiessuch as Gwalior, Chandigarh, andDehradun.

Is it Possible to MakeSecured Landfills MoreCost Effective and LandUse Efficient?In a country such as India, it isextremely difficult for each small townto develop its own separate securedlandfill. Neither do they have thenecessary financial and humanresources nor is it feasible to find landsites to develop so many landfills.Most countries across the world haveaddressed this challenge bydeveloping Regional Landfills.

Water and Sanitation Program-South AsiaThe World Bank55 Lodi Estate, New Delhi 110 003India

Phone: (91-11) 24690488, 24690489Fax: (91-11) 24628250E-mail: wspsa@worldbank.orgWeb site: www.wsp.org

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Clean streets, clean localities, clean markets… this is what most people look for from anefficient solid waste management system. Not much thought is given to where the waste hasgone once it is out of sight. In other words: out of sight, out of mind! In India, currently over 80percent of the municipal solid waste generated is dumped out in the open. At currentestimates, that is almost 100,000 tons being added to our environment every day, and it isresponsible for serious public health and environmental concerns including soil, water andair pollution, and accidents such as fire explosions, aeroplane crashes,1 and so on.

1 Improper storage of waste, especially hazardous waste, could lead to accidental spills, thereby increasing the risk of fires or explosions. Flight safety isaffected because the garbage also attracts birds, increasing the risk of bird-hits and aeroplane crashes.2 Leachate is a toxic liquid that seeps through solid waste in a landfill and, in the process, extracts soluble dissolved and suspended materials from thewaste. It contains waste, bacteria, toxic substances, heavy metals, among other things. In towns where biomedical or hazardous waste (for instance,batteries, bulbs, thermometers) mixes with the municipal waste stream, the leachate can cause serious health and environmental damage.

4 Biomedical Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, and Hazardous Wastes(Management and Handling) Rules, 1989.

Figure 1: Environmental and Health Impacts of Open Dumping

Box 1: Regulatory Requirementsfor Secured Landfills underMunicipal Solid Waste Rules, 2000

■ Siting restrictions: Securedlandfills are required to belocated in suitable geologicalareas away from ecologicallyfragile areas, airports, humanhabitation, water bodies, andso on.

■ Facilities at site: Provision ofbuffer zone, approach roads,inspection and record keepingarrangements, availability ofbasic amenities for workers.

■ Liner specifications: Standardsare defined on the attributes ofthe liner.

■ Leachate collection andtreatment: Provisions are madefor the collection and treatment ofleachate, and also for minimizingleachate generation (using stormwater drains).

■ Operating practises:Compaction norms, covering ofwaste with soil or inert material.

■ Water and air qualitymonitoring: Norms for testing ofgroundwater collected from wellsand ambient air to check forrelease of pollutants into thesurrounding environment.Periodicity of monitoring has alsobeen prescribed.

■ Closure and post-closure care:Attributes of landfill cover andvegetative layer, includingmonitoring requirements forpost-closure period (at least15 years).

What Type of Waste Doesa Municipal SecuredLandfill Site Contain?‘Municipal solid waste’ includescommercial and residential wastesgenerated in a municipal or notifiedarea. By regulation, municipalsecured landfills can also receivenonhazardous industrial solid waste.Construction and demolition debrismay also be landfilled, or else usedin place of the daily soil cover.Industrial hazardous wastes andbiomedical wastes, however, cannotbe disposed at municipal securedlandfills, for which separate landfillsare required in compliance with adifferent set of laws.4

As per the Municipal Solid WasteRules, 2000, landfilling shall berestricted to nonbiodegradable, inertwaste and other waste that are notsuitable either for recycling or forbiological processing. Landfillingshall also be carried out for residuesfrom waste processing facilities aswell as pre-processing rejects fromsuch waste facilities.

The Rules, however, also stipulatethat landfilling of mixed waste maybe undertaken if the same is foundunsuitable for waste processing, or tillinstallation of alternate facilities. Theunderlying premise is that opendumping should be stopped on apriority basis.

Figure 3: Phased Development of Landfill CellsFigure 2: Secured Landfill

What are the Impacts of Open Dumping?■ Water pollution—Surface and groundwater bodies can get contaminated by leachate2

and hazardous substances released from the dumpsite. Potable groundwater may become toxic.■ Soil pollution—Toxic substances released into the soil are absorbed by surrounding vegetation and move into

the food chain.■ Dump fires—When waste decomposes at dumpsites, methane is released; this gas is inflammable and can result

in explosions or dump fires. The smoke from such fires contains toxic substances and is inhaled by thesurrounding populace.

■ Global warming—Methane released from dumpsites is one of the main contributors to global warming.■ Source of disease—Dumpsites breed flies, rodents, and pests which carry diseases into the surrounding

population.■ Other impacts—Foul smell; visual ugliness; bird menace which can be a hazard to aeroplanes.

The primary goal of any solid waste management system is to safeguard public health and the environment. Thisis achieved by ensuring proper collection, transportation, recycling or processing and, finally, safe disposal ofwaste. The last step is lacking in most solid waste management systems implemented across the country.

What is a Secured Landfill?A secured landfill is an engineeredfacility designed for the safe disposal ofwaste. ‘Landfilling’ means disposal ofresidual solid wastes on land in afacility designed with protectivemeasures against pollution ofgroundwater, surface water and airincluding control of dust, wind-blownlitter, bad odor, fire hazard, bird menace,pests or rodents, greenhouse gasemissions, slope instability, anderosion. It is a site where urban localbodies can take waste to be buried andcompacted in a manner that ensuressafe containment and degradation ofwaste over a period of time, ultimatelybecoming a part of nature.

What are the EssentialComponents of a SecuredLandfill?1. Liner system at the base and

sides to prevent migration ofleachate or landfill gas (largelymethane) to the surroundingenvironment. Typically consists ofa high-density polyethylene(HDPE) membrane, layers of clay,and sand or gravel (see Figure 2).

2. Leachate collection and treatmentfacility.

3. Landfill gas3 collection and controlfacility.

4. Fenced buffer zone and greenbelt around the landfill facilityto serve as a visual andprotective barrier.

5. On closure of a landfill cell, a finalcover system at the top to preventinfiltration of water and supportsurface vegetation.

6. An environmental and wastemonitoring system (including aweighbridge).

7. Safety provisions and basicamenities (for example, roads,lighting arrangements, watersupply, protective gear, toilets,and health checks).

‘Landfilling’ is the process by whichresidual waste is placed in a landfillin a planned manner. It primarilyconsists of (a) placing incomingwaste in a landfill cell using variousequipment such as tractors, dozers,and so on; (b) compaction of waste,and (c) a daily cover (soil, debris,and so on) on the waste to preventflies, birds, and odor. Landfilling is atechnical operation requiringappropriate expertise andequipment (such as bulldozers orcompactors). With proper

compaction a lot more waste canbe disposed per unit area of land.For a well-designed and operatedfacility, waste can be landfilled up to50 meters high (internationally,landfill heights can be over 100meters), thus offering immensecapacity for waste disposal per unitarea of land.

A secured landfill is developed inphases or cells. Landfilling iscarried out in a particular cell; oncefilled to capacity the cell is closedand landfilling starts in a new cell.See Figure 3 for a typicalphasing plan.

A landfill can be developed on flatplain land, sloping land (hilly area),in abandoned quarries, or even onan existing dumpsite. Whilemunicipalities are responsible fordeveloping a secured landfill tomeet their disposal requirements,the State Pollution Control Boardsare required to authorize thelandfills’ development as well asregulate the operation of landfillsites to ensure that they adhere tothe stipulated standards under theMunicipal Solid Waste Rules (seeBox 1).

3 Landfill gas contains methane and carbon dioxide plus small amounts of some other gases. Methane being inflammable can cause fires or explosions.Accordingly, at most secured landfills this gas is collected and either burnt in a controlled manner or used to generate electricity. The gas is released overa long period of time as the waste degrades. Consequently, gas emissions from landfill sites must be monitored for many years even after the sites havestopped accepting waste.

Animals

Food chain

Ugly landscape

Bad smells

Food chain

Drinking water

Infections

Man produceswaste

Bacteria

PestsInsects

Contaminationof soil andgroundwater

Plants

Toxic substances

Hydrocarbons

Heavy metals

Organic substances

Contamination

Cover(flexible barrier)

Gascollection

No dust, litter

No pests, rodents

Leachatecollection

Clean surfacewater

Concept of Waste Containment

No leachate

Liner(flexible barrier)

No infiltration

Isolated waste

No

eros

ion

A: Phasing plan

Mostsensitive

visual andnoise

receptors

Direction of workingshould be ideally, away fromsensitive receptors andtowards site entrance

Site entranceHaul road

B: Phase 2 in operationIn preparation

Possible location ofborrow pit/stockpile area

Under restoration

In operation

C: Phase 4 in operation

Under restoration In preparation

Restored

In operation

D: Phase 6 in operationUnder restoration

In operation

Restored

13 5

642

31

2

3 5

4

5

6

Clean streets, clean localities, clean markets… this is what most people look for from anefficient solid waste management system. Not much thought is given to where the waste hasgone once it is out of sight. In other words: out of sight, out of mind! In India, currently over 80percent of the municipal solid waste generated is dumped out in the open. At currentestimates, that is almost 100,000 tons being added to our environment every day, and it isresponsible for serious public health and environmental concerns including soil, water andair pollution, and accidents such as fire explosions, aeroplane crashes,1 and so on.

1 Improper storage of waste, especially hazardous waste, could lead to accidental spills, thereby increasing the risk of fires or explosions. Flight safety isaffected because the garbage also attracts birds, increasing the risk of bird-hits and aeroplane crashes.2 Leachate is a toxic liquid that seeps through solid waste in a landfill and, in the process, extracts soluble dissolved and suspended materials from thewaste. It contains waste, bacteria, toxic substances, heavy metals, among other things. In towns where biomedical or hazardous waste (for instance,batteries, bulbs, thermometers) mixes with the municipal waste stream, the leachate can cause serious health and environmental damage.

4 Biomedical Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, and Hazardous Wastes(Management and Handling) Rules, 1989.

Figure 1: Environmental and Health Impacts of Open Dumping

Box 1: Regulatory Requirementsfor Secured Landfills underMunicipal Solid Waste Rules, 2000

■ Siting restrictions: Securedlandfills are required to belocated in suitable geologicalareas away from ecologicallyfragile areas, airports, humanhabitation, water bodies, andso on.

■ Facilities at site: Provision ofbuffer zone, approach roads,inspection and record keepingarrangements, availability ofbasic amenities for workers.

■ Liner specifications: Standardsare defined on the attributes ofthe liner.

■ Leachate collection andtreatment: Provisions are madefor the collection and treatment ofleachate, and also for minimizingleachate generation (using stormwater drains).

■ Operating practises:Compaction norms, covering ofwaste with soil or inert material.

■ Water and air qualitymonitoring: Norms for testing ofgroundwater collected from wellsand ambient air to check forrelease of pollutants into thesurrounding environment.Periodicity of monitoring has alsobeen prescribed.

■ Closure and post-closure care:Attributes of landfill cover andvegetative layer, includingmonitoring requirements forpost-closure period (at least15 years).

What Type of Waste Doesa Municipal SecuredLandfill Site Contain?‘Municipal solid waste’ includescommercial and residential wastesgenerated in a municipal or notifiedarea. By regulation, municipalsecured landfills can also receivenonhazardous industrial solid waste.Construction and demolition debrismay also be landfilled, or else usedin place of the daily soil cover.Industrial hazardous wastes andbiomedical wastes, however, cannotbe disposed at municipal securedlandfills, for which separate landfillsare required in compliance with adifferent set of laws.4

As per the Municipal Solid WasteRules, 2000, landfilling shall berestricted to nonbiodegradable, inertwaste and other waste that are notsuitable either for recycling or forbiological processing. Landfillingshall also be carried out for residuesfrom waste processing facilities aswell as pre-processing rejects fromsuch waste facilities.

The Rules, however, also stipulatethat landfilling of mixed waste maybe undertaken if the same is foundunsuitable for waste processing, or tillinstallation of alternate facilities. Theunderlying premise is that opendumping should be stopped on apriority basis.

Figure 3: Phased Development of Landfill CellsFigure 2: Secured Landfill

What are the Impacts of Open Dumping?■ Water pollution—Surface and groundwater bodies can get contaminated by leachate2

and hazardous substances released from the dumpsite. Potable groundwater may become toxic.■ Soil pollution—Toxic substances released into the soil are absorbed by surrounding vegetation and move into

the food chain.■ Dump fires—When waste decomposes at dumpsites, methane is released; this gas is inflammable and can result

in explosions or dump fires. The smoke from such fires contains toxic substances and is inhaled by thesurrounding populace.

■ Global warming—Methane released from dumpsites is one of the main contributors to global warming.■ Source of disease—Dumpsites breed flies, rodents, and pests which carry diseases into the surrounding

population.■ Other impacts—Foul smell; visual ugliness; bird menace which can be a hazard to aeroplanes.

The primary goal of any solid waste management system is to safeguard public health and the environment. Thisis achieved by ensuring proper collection, transportation, recycling or processing and, finally, safe disposal ofwaste. The last step is lacking in most solid waste management systems implemented across the country.

What is a Secured Landfill?A secured landfill is an engineeredfacility designed for the safe disposal ofwaste. ‘Landfilling’ means disposal ofresidual solid wastes on land in afacility designed with protectivemeasures against pollution ofgroundwater, surface water and airincluding control of dust, wind-blownlitter, bad odor, fire hazard, bird menace,pests or rodents, greenhouse gasemissions, slope instability, anderosion. It is a site where urban localbodies can take waste to be buried andcompacted in a manner that ensuressafe containment and degradation ofwaste over a period of time, ultimatelybecoming a part of nature.

What are the EssentialComponents of a SecuredLandfill?1. Liner system at the base and

sides to prevent migration ofleachate or landfill gas (largelymethane) to the surroundingenvironment. Typically consists ofa high-density polyethylene(HDPE) membrane, layers of clay,and sand or gravel (see Figure 2).

2. Leachate collection and treatmentfacility.

3. Landfill gas3 collection and controlfacility.

4. Fenced buffer zone and greenbelt around the landfill facilityto serve as a visual andprotective barrier.

5. On closure of a landfill cell, a finalcover system at the top to preventinfiltration of water and supportsurface vegetation.

6. An environmental and wastemonitoring system (including aweighbridge).

7. Safety provisions and basicamenities (for example, roads,lighting arrangements, watersupply, protective gear, toilets,and health checks).

‘Landfilling’ is the process by whichresidual waste is placed in a landfillin a planned manner. It primarilyconsists of (a) placing incomingwaste in a landfill cell using variousequipment such as tractors, dozers,and so on; (b) compaction of waste,and (c) a daily cover (soil, debris,and so on) on the waste to preventflies, birds, and odor. Landfilling is atechnical operation requiringappropriate expertise andequipment (such as bulldozers orcompactors). With proper

compaction a lot more waste canbe disposed per unit area of land.For a well-designed and operatedfacility, waste can be landfilled up to50 meters high (internationally,landfill heights can be over 100meters), thus offering immensecapacity for waste disposal per unitarea of land.

A secured landfill is developed inphases or cells. Landfilling iscarried out in a particular cell; oncefilled to capacity the cell is closedand landfilling starts in a new cell.See Figure 3 for a typicalphasing plan.

A landfill can be developed on flatplain land, sloping land (hilly area),in abandoned quarries, or even onan existing dumpsite. Whilemunicipalities are responsible fordeveloping a secured landfill tomeet their disposal requirements,the State Pollution Control Boardsare required to authorize thelandfills’ development as well asregulate the operation of landfillsites to ensure that they adhere tothe stipulated standards under theMunicipal Solid Waste Rules (seeBox 1).

3 Landfill gas contains methane and carbon dioxide plus small amounts of some other gases. Methane being inflammable can cause fires or explosions.Accordingly, at most secured landfills this gas is collected and either burnt in a controlled manner or used to generate electricity. The gas is released overa long period of time as the waste degrades. Consequently, gas emissions from landfill sites must be monitored for many years even after the sites havestopped accepting waste.

Animals

Food chain

Ugly landscape

Bad smells

Food chain

Drinking water

Infections

Man produceswaste

Bacteria

PestsInsects

Contaminationof soil andgroundwater

Plants

Toxic substances

Hydrocarbons

Heavy metals

Organic substances

Contamination

Cover(flexible barrier)

Gascollection

No dust, litter

No pests, rodents

Leachatecollection

Clean surfacewater

Concept of Waste Containment

No leachate

Liner(flexible barrier)

No infiltration

Isolated waste

No

eros

ion

A: Phasing plan

Mostsensitive

visual andnoise

receptors

Direction of workingshould be ideally, away fromsensitive receptors andtowards site entrance

Site entranceHaul road

B: Phase 2 in operationIn preparation

Possible location ofborrow pit/stockpile area

Under restoration

In operation

C: Phase 4 in operation

Under restoration In preparation

Restored

In operation

D: Phase 6 in operationUnder restoration

In operation

Restored

13 5

642

31

2

3 5

4

5

6

Clean streets, clean localities, clean markets… this is what most people look for from anefficient solid waste management system. Not much thought is given to where the waste hasgone once it is out of sight. In other words: out of sight, out of mind! In India, currently over 80percent of the municipal solid waste generated is dumped out in the open. At currentestimates, that is almost 100,000 tons being added to our environment every day, and it isresponsible for serious public health and environmental concerns including soil, water andair pollution, and accidents such as fire explosions, aeroplane crashes,1 and so on.

1 Improper storage of waste, especially hazardous waste, could lead to accidental spills, thereby increasing the risk of fires or explosions. Flight safety isaffected because the garbage also attracts birds, increasing the risk of bird-hits and aeroplane crashes.2 Leachate is a toxic liquid that seeps through solid waste in a landfill and, in the process, extracts soluble dissolved and suspended materials from thewaste. It contains waste, bacteria, toxic substances, heavy metals, among other things. In towns where biomedical or hazardous waste (for instance,batteries, bulbs, thermometers) mixes with the municipal waste stream, the leachate can cause serious health and environmental damage.

4 Biomedical Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, and Hazardous Wastes(Management and Handling) Rules, 1989.

Figure 1: Environmental and Health Impacts of Open Dumping

Box 1: Regulatory Requirementsfor Secured Landfills underMunicipal Solid Waste Rules, 2000

■ Siting restrictions: Securedlandfills are required to belocated in suitable geologicalareas away from ecologicallyfragile areas, airports, humanhabitation, water bodies, andso on.

■ Facilities at site: Provision ofbuffer zone, approach roads,inspection and record keepingarrangements, availability ofbasic amenities for workers.

■ Liner specifications: Standardsare defined on the attributes ofthe liner.

■ Leachate collection andtreatment: Provisions are madefor the collection and treatment ofleachate, and also for minimizingleachate generation (using stormwater drains).

■ Operating practises:Compaction norms, covering ofwaste with soil or inert material.

■ Water and air qualitymonitoring: Norms for testing ofgroundwater collected from wellsand ambient air to check forrelease of pollutants into thesurrounding environment.Periodicity of monitoring has alsobeen prescribed.

■ Closure and post-closure care:Attributes of landfill cover andvegetative layer, includingmonitoring requirements forpost-closure period (at least15 years).

What Type of Waste Doesa Municipal SecuredLandfill Site Contain?‘Municipal solid waste’ includescommercial and residential wastesgenerated in a municipal or notifiedarea. By regulation, municipalsecured landfills can also receivenonhazardous industrial solid waste.Construction and demolition debrismay also be landfilled, or else usedin place of the daily soil cover.Industrial hazardous wastes andbiomedical wastes, however, cannotbe disposed at municipal securedlandfills, for which separate landfillsare required in compliance with adifferent set of laws.4

As per the Municipal Solid WasteRules, 2000, landfilling shall berestricted to nonbiodegradable, inertwaste and other waste that are notsuitable either for recycling or forbiological processing. Landfillingshall also be carried out for residuesfrom waste processing facilities aswell as pre-processing rejects fromsuch waste facilities.

The Rules, however, also stipulatethat landfilling of mixed waste maybe undertaken if the same is foundunsuitable for waste processing, or tillinstallation of alternate facilities. Theunderlying premise is that opendumping should be stopped on apriority basis.

Figure 3: Phased Development of Landfill CellsFigure 2: Secured Landfill

What are the Impacts of Open Dumping?■ Water pollution—Surface and groundwater bodies can get contaminated by leachate2

and hazardous substances released from the dumpsite. Potable groundwater may become toxic.■ Soil pollution—Toxic substances released into the soil are absorbed by surrounding vegetation and move into

the food chain.■ Dump fires—When waste decomposes at dumpsites, methane is released; this gas is inflammable and can result

in explosions or dump fires. The smoke from such fires contains toxic substances and is inhaled by thesurrounding populace.

■ Global warming—Methane released from dumpsites is one of the main contributors to global warming.■ Source of disease—Dumpsites breed flies, rodents, and pests which carry diseases into the surrounding

population.■ Other impacts—Foul smell; visual ugliness; bird menace which can be a hazard to aeroplanes.

The primary goal of any solid waste management system is to safeguard public health and the environment. Thisis achieved by ensuring proper collection, transportation, recycling or processing and, finally, safe disposal ofwaste. The last step is lacking in most solid waste management systems implemented across the country.

What is a Secured Landfill?A secured landfill is an engineeredfacility designed for the safe disposal ofwaste. ‘Landfilling’ means disposal ofresidual solid wastes on land in afacility designed with protectivemeasures against pollution ofgroundwater, surface water and airincluding control of dust, wind-blownlitter, bad odor, fire hazard, bird menace,pests or rodents, greenhouse gasemissions, slope instability, anderosion. It is a site where urban localbodies can take waste to be buried andcompacted in a manner that ensuressafe containment and degradation ofwaste over a period of time, ultimatelybecoming a part of nature.

What are the EssentialComponents of a SecuredLandfill?1. Liner system at the base and

sides to prevent migration ofleachate or landfill gas (largelymethane) to the surroundingenvironment. Typically consists ofa high-density polyethylene(HDPE) membrane, layers of clay,and sand or gravel (see Figure 2).

2. Leachate collection and treatmentfacility.

3. Landfill gas3 collection and controlfacility.

4. Fenced buffer zone and greenbelt around the landfill facilityto serve as a visual andprotective barrier.

5. On closure of a landfill cell, a finalcover system at the top to preventinfiltration of water and supportsurface vegetation.

6. An environmental and wastemonitoring system (including aweighbridge).

7. Safety provisions and basicamenities (for example, roads,lighting arrangements, watersupply, protective gear, toilets,and health checks).

‘Landfilling’ is the process by whichresidual waste is placed in a landfillin a planned manner. It primarilyconsists of (a) placing incomingwaste in a landfill cell using variousequipment such as tractors, dozers,and so on; (b) compaction of waste,and (c) a daily cover (soil, debris,and so on) on the waste to preventflies, birds, and odor. Landfilling is atechnical operation requiringappropriate expertise andequipment (such as bulldozers orcompactors). With proper

compaction a lot more waste canbe disposed per unit area of land.For a well-designed and operatedfacility, waste can be landfilled up to50 meters high (internationally,landfill heights can be over 100meters), thus offering immensecapacity for waste disposal per unitarea of land.

A secured landfill is developed inphases or cells. Landfilling iscarried out in a particular cell; oncefilled to capacity the cell is closedand landfilling starts in a new cell.See Figure 3 for a typicalphasing plan.

A landfill can be developed on flatplain land, sloping land (hilly area),in abandoned quarries, or even onan existing dumpsite. Whilemunicipalities are responsible fordeveloping a secured landfill tomeet their disposal requirements,the State Pollution Control Boardsare required to authorize thelandfills’ development as well asregulate the operation of landfillsites to ensure that they adhere tothe stipulated standards under theMunicipal Solid Waste Rules (seeBox 1).

3 Landfill gas contains methane and carbon dioxide plus small amounts of some other gases. Methane being inflammable can cause fires or explosions.Accordingly, at most secured landfills this gas is collected and either burnt in a controlled manner or used to generate electricity. The gas is released overa long period of time as the waste degrades. Consequently, gas emissions from landfill sites must be monitored for many years even after the sites havestopped accepting waste.

Animals

Food chain

Ugly landscape

Bad smells

Food chain

Drinking water

Infections

Man produceswaste

Bacteria

PestsInsects

Contaminationof soil andgroundwater

Plants

Toxic substances

Hydrocarbons

Heavy metals

Organic substances

Contamination

Cover(flexible barrier)

Gascollection

No dust, litter

No pests, rodents

Leachatecollection

Clean surfacewater

Concept of Waste Containment

No leachate

Liner(flexible barrier)

No infiltration

Isolated waste

No

eros

ion

A: Phasing plan

Mostsensitive

visual andnoise

receptors

Direction of workingshould be ideally, away fromsensitive receptors andtowards site entrance

Site entranceHaul road

B: Phase 2 in operationIn preparation

Possible location ofborrow pit/stockpile area

Under restoration

In operation

C: Phase 4 in operation

Under restoration In preparation

Restored

In operation

D: Phase 6 in operationUnder restoration

In operation

Restored

13 5

642

31

2

3 5

4

5

6

The Water and Sanitation Programis an international partnership forimproving water and sanitation sectorpolicies, practices, and capacities toserve poor people

April 2008

Info Note

Secured Landfills

The Bucket at the End of theSolid Waste Management Chain

Can’t We Treat or RecycleAll Waste, and Do Withouta Secured Landfill?Experience in India and across theworld has shown that it is not possibleto treat or recycle all the waste.Landfill sites are required to disposeof rejects, that is, waste that cannot be

other components of a wastemanagement system. For instance,in case of a malfunction in thetreatment facility or unusual peaks inthe waste stream (festivals, publicevents, heavy rains, naturaldisasters), the excess waste can besafely disposed of at the securedlandfill.

What is a Regional Landfill?A ‘regional landfill’ refers to acommon landfill for a cluster ofmunicipalities. It allows for thedevelopment of a single, large facilityinstead of many small landfills dottingthe landscape. A single regionallandfill could cater to as many as15–20 municipalities.

Being relatively large in size, regionallandfills offer several advantages:■ Significant lowering of construction

and operating costs per ton ofwaste (by as much as 60–80percent).

■ Sharing of fixed costs across alarger number of municipalities.

■ Better quality of operations usingmodern equipment (typicallyusable only in large facilities).

■ Hiring of appropriate professionalexpertise.

■ Development of a proper greenbelt around the facility to serve asa visual barrier.

■ Significant lowering in landrequirement per ton of waste(because with a larger land area, itis possible to landfill up to agreater height—up to 40–50meters and even higher in somecases). Figure 5 provides anillustration of this point.

While large tracts of land may not beavailable within or near municipalboundaries, these may be acquired inrelatively less developed areaslocated at some distance frommunicipalities, up to even 50–60 km

April 2008

WSP MISSION:To help the poor gain sustained access towater and sanitation services.

WSP FUNDING PARTNERS:The Governments of Australia, Austria,Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland,Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway,Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, theUnited States of America, the United NationsDevelopment Programme, The World Bank,and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

AusAID provides WSP-SA programmaticsupport.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:This information note was reviewedby Catherine Revels, Shubhagato Dasgupta,Shafiul Azam Ahmed, Prof Manoj Datta(IIT-Delhi), and A. N. Purandare(Eco-Designs Ltd).

AUTHORS:Vandana Bhatnagar and Sanjay K. Gupta

Editor: Anjali Sen GuptaPictures by: Asit Nema and Vandana BhatnagarCreated & printed by: Roots Advertising Services Pvt Ltd

The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed are entirely those of the authors and should not be attributed in anymanner to The World Bank, to its affiliated organizations, or to members of its Board of Executive Directors or thecompanies they represent.

away. The additional transportationcosts are usually offset by the costsavings as described in theadvantages.

Regional landfills are being used notonly in developed countries such asthe United States, the UnitedKingdom, Germany, Sweden, andPoland, but also in developingcountries such as Argentina, Brazil,Mexico, Palestine, and Egypt. In India,the approach is being adopted in thestates of Gujarat, West Bengal, andAndhra Pradesh; others, such asTamil Nadu, Kerala, and Maharashtraare also considering adopting thisapproach.

The Bottom LineIndia is growing rapidly, and wastegeneration is growing at between twoor three times the rate of populationgrowth. The ‘out of sight, out of mind’approach has to be replaced by amature understanding of the ill effectsof poor waste management. Alongwith necessary efforts to reduce,recycle, and reuse waste, citizens anddecisionmakers need to urgentlyunderstand that secured landfills arean essential element of a completesolid waste management chain. Theyneed to work towards introducingwell-designed and efficientlymanaged secured landfills that arenot seen as an environmental evil butas an essential means forsafeguarding public health and theenvironment.

Figure 5: Increase in Landfill Height for Bigger Landfill Area

reused, composted or recycled. Thereare many waste processing methodssuch as composting, biomethanation,and incineration which help to reducethe amount of waste. Ultimately,however, there is a remaining wastestream consisting of rejects orresidues (for instance,nonbiodegradable rejects from acompost facility, ash from a RefuseDerived Fuel facility) that needs to bedisposed safely at a landfill.

In addition, secured landfillsserve as a necessary backup to

Isn’t a Secured Landfill aWasteful Use of Land?Secured landfills are a necessaryrequirement for any urban area.However, making land available forsuch a landfill does not imply thatthereafter it cannot be used for anyother purpose. As mentioned earlier,landfills are developed in phases. Ifthe efficiency of recycling and wastetreatment improves over time, it ispossible to reduce the land providedfor subsequent landfill cells, orreallocate it for additional treatment

Figure 4: Secured Landfill in Navi Mumbai: Tree Plantation on Closed Cell

capacity. After closure, the landfillarea can be restored for other uses,for example, parks, golf courses, andeven human habitation (if thenecessary safeguards have beentaken).

Do We Have SecuredLandfills in India?There are only a few landfill sites inIndia. These too came up after theMunicipal Solid Waste Rules, 2000,came into being. The first fewsecured landfills in India were builtaround 2004–05 in cities like NaviMumbai, Bangalore, Surat, andAhmedabad. Most cities, includingthe metros—Delhi, Mumbai, andKolkata—still do not have proper andscientifically designed securedlandfills. Instead the norm isuncontrolled disposal at opendumpsites (typically in low lying areas)which are sources of severe pollution.Several landfills are now beingdeveloped across the country, not onlyin the metros but also in smaller citiessuch as Gwalior, Chandigarh, andDehradun.

Is it Possible to MakeSecured Landfills MoreCost Effective and LandUse Efficient?In a country such as India, it isextremely difficult for each small townto develop its own separate securedlandfill. Neither do they have thenecessary financial and humanresources nor is it feasible to find landsites to develop so many landfills.Most countries across the world haveaddressed this challenge bydeveloping Regional Landfills.

Water and Sanitation Program-South AsiaThe World Bank55 Lodi Estate, New Delhi 110 003India

Phone: (91-11) 24690488, 24690489Fax: (91-11) 24628250E-mail: wspsa@worldbank.orgWeb site: www.wsp.org

The Water and Sanitation Programis an international partnership forimproving water and sanitation sectorpolicies, practices, and capacities toserve poor people

April 2008

Info Note

Secured Landfills

The Bucket at the End of theSolid Waste Management Chain

Can’t We Treat or RecycleAll Waste, and Do Withouta Secured Landfill?Experience in India and across theworld has shown that it is not possibleto treat or recycle all the waste.Landfill sites are required to disposeof rejects, that is, waste that cannot be

other components of a wastemanagement system. For instance,in case of a malfunction in thetreatment facility or unusual peaks inthe waste stream (festivals, publicevents, heavy rains, naturaldisasters), the excess waste can besafely disposed of at the securedlandfill.

What is a Regional Landfill?A ‘regional landfill’ refers to acommon landfill for a cluster ofmunicipalities. It allows for thedevelopment of a single, large facilityinstead of many small landfills dottingthe landscape. A single regionallandfill could cater to as many as15–20 municipalities.

Being relatively large in size, regionallandfills offer several advantages:■ Significant lowering of construction

and operating costs per ton ofwaste (by as much as 60–80percent).

■ Sharing of fixed costs across alarger number of municipalities.

■ Better quality of operations usingmodern equipment (typicallyusable only in large facilities).

■ Hiring of appropriate professionalexpertise.

■ Development of a proper greenbelt around the facility to serve asa visual barrier.

■ Significant lowering in landrequirement per ton of waste(because with a larger land area, itis possible to landfill up to agreater height—up to 40–50meters and even higher in somecases). Figure 5 provides anillustration of this point.

While large tracts of land may not beavailable within or near municipalboundaries, these may be acquired inrelatively less developed areaslocated at some distance frommunicipalities, up to even 50–60 km

April 2008

WSP MISSION:To help the poor gain sustained access towater and sanitation services.

WSP FUNDING PARTNERS:The Governments of Australia, Austria,Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland,Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway,Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, theUnited States of America, the United NationsDevelopment Programme, The World Bank,and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

AusAID provides WSP-SA programmaticsupport.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:This information note was reviewedby Catherine Revels, Shubhagato Dasgupta,Shafiul Azam Ahmed, Prof Manoj Datta(IIT-Delhi), and A. N. Purandare(Eco-Designs Ltd).

AUTHORS:Vandana Bhatnagar and Sanjay K. Gupta

Editor: Anjali Sen GuptaPictures by: Asit Nema and Vandana BhatnagarCreated & printed by: Roots Advertising Services Pvt Ltd

The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed are entirely those of the authors and should not be attributed in anymanner to The World Bank, to its affiliated organizations, or to members of its Board of Executive Directors or thecompanies they represent.

away. The additional transportationcosts are usually offset by the costsavings as described in theadvantages.

Regional landfills are being used notonly in developed countries such asthe United States, the UnitedKingdom, Germany, Sweden, andPoland, but also in developingcountries such as Argentina, Brazil,Mexico, Palestine, and Egypt. In India,the approach is being adopted in thestates of Gujarat, West Bengal, andAndhra Pradesh; others, such asTamil Nadu, Kerala, and Maharashtraare also considering adopting thisapproach.

The Bottom LineIndia is growing rapidly, and wastegeneration is growing at between twoor three times the rate of populationgrowth. The ‘out of sight, out of mind’approach has to be replaced by amature understanding of the ill effectsof poor waste management. Alongwith necessary efforts to reduce,recycle, and reuse waste, citizens anddecisionmakers need to urgentlyunderstand that secured landfills arean essential element of a completesolid waste management chain. Theyneed to work towards introducingwell-designed and efficientlymanaged secured landfills that arenot seen as an environmental evil butas an essential means forsafeguarding public health and theenvironment.

Figure 5: Increase in Landfill Height for Bigger Landfill Area

reused, composted or recycled. Thereare many waste processing methodssuch as composting, biomethanation,and incineration which help to reducethe amount of waste. Ultimately,however, there is a remaining wastestream consisting of rejects orresidues (for instance,nonbiodegradable rejects from acompost facility, ash from a RefuseDerived Fuel facility) that needs to bedisposed safely at a landfill.

In addition, secured landfillsserve as a necessary backup to

Isn’t a Secured Landfill aWasteful Use of Land?Secured landfills are a necessaryrequirement for any urban area.However, making land available forsuch a landfill does not imply thatthereafter it cannot be used for anyother purpose. As mentioned earlier,landfills are developed in phases. Ifthe efficiency of recycling and wastetreatment improves over time, it ispossible to reduce the land providedfor subsequent landfill cells, orreallocate it for additional treatment

Figure 4: Secured Landfill in Navi Mumbai: Tree Plantation on Closed Cell

capacity. After closure, the landfillarea can be restored for other uses,for example, parks, golf courses, andeven human habitation (if thenecessary safeguards have beentaken).

Do We Have SecuredLandfills in India?There are only a few landfill sites inIndia. These too came up after theMunicipal Solid Waste Rules, 2000,came into being. The first fewsecured landfills in India were builtaround 2004–05 in cities like NaviMumbai, Bangalore, Surat, andAhmedabad. Most cities, includingthe metros—Delhi, Mumbai, andKolkata—still do not have proper andscientifically designed securedlandfills. Instead the norm isuncontrolled disposal at opendumpsites (typically in low lying areas)which are sources of severe pollution.Several landfills are now beingdeveloped across the country, not onlyin the metros but also in smaller citiessuch as Gwalior, Chandigarh, andDehradun.

Is it Possible to MakeSecured Landfills MoreCost Effective and LandUse Efficient?In a country such as India, it isextremely difficult for each small townto develop its own separate securedlandfill. Neither do they have thenecessary financial and humanresources nor is it feasible to find landsites to develop so many landfills.Most countries across the world haveaddressed this challenge bydeveloping Regional Landfills.

Water and Sanitation Program-South AsiaThe World Bank55 Lodi Estate, New Delhi 110 003India

Phone: (91-11) 24690488, 24690489Fax: (91-11) 24628250E-mail: wspsa@worldbank.orgWeb site: www.wsp.org