What is leachate?
A leachate is any liquid that, in the course of passing through matter, extracts soluble or suspended solids, or any other component of the material through which it has passed.
Leachate is defined as any contaminated liquid that is generated from water percolating through a solid waste disposal site, accumulating contaminants, and moving into subsurface areas.
What is leachate leak?
The leachates are generated when municipal solid waste (MSW) comes in contact with water that infiltrates through a landfill.
Leachate is a complex mixture that is composed of various pollutants such as heavy metals, soluble organic and inorganic compounds, nutrients, and suspended particles.
Leakage of leachate can cause pollution of groundwater, surface waters, agriculture and natural ecosystems, especially when the leachate is released in an uncontrolled manner.
Why it is in news?
A group of environmental activists has written to the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) drawing its attention to the alarming levels of toxic pollutants caused by leachate spilling over to the Aravalis from the Bandhwari landfill site in Gurugram.
High presence of toxic substances in the Aravalis due to the leachate spill.
“The substances were present several times over permissible limits, posing health hazard to residents of neighbouring villages by way of contaminating the groundwater and wild animals drinking the leachate,” .
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