Development on a landfill sites

In India Landfills have now become an environmental hazard. The metros are drowning under their own trash that is an estimated 60 million tons a year. The oldest landfill in India is located in Mumbai and covers 326 acres. In New Delhi the total acreage of all landfills put together is 500 acres.  In Bangalore villages in the periphery, where garbage was being dumped, virtually revolted against dumping into the already overflowing landfill.  These landfills are seemingly bottomless pits with most garbage being dumped directly into the landfill without proper segregation. The tallest working waste landfill site in India is the Ghazipur landfill that currently stands at over 50ft in height. 

One aspect that can be overlooked is the health of those individuals living in proximity of the landfill site. But most disturbing is the damage these landfill sites cause below the surface. It is documented that around the landfill site ground water is polluted and the nature of the land itself changes into being completely unusable for agriculture. Since most landfill sites are located in the rural areas, this is a tremendous disruption to the normal way of life and work for those communities, for no fault of their own.

So how can we manage a landfill site that needs to be closed? Most common is the compaction of waste and the creation of a pubic park on the site for the use by the community.

I propose another option for landfills closer to urban areas, which is the creation of a golf course. A golf course can elevate the profile of the area, improving marketability and raising the price of real estate. Land surrounding or facing the golf course can even be sold at a premium.

Though this may not be an ideal solution for a landfill site, this concept could work because it benefits the community through appreciation of land prices and as a source of employment (casual labor on the golf course and employment as caddies). As a model it can fit any size of land as little as 6 acres to as large as 100 acres. A recreational club can also be developed on the site, where memberships can be sold. Depending on the location of the landfill this can completely transform the landscape of such semi urban areas.