Mangaluru : Upalokayukta B.Veerappa on Sunday directed Mangaluru City Corporation to conduct a study on health hazards in areas around the landfill site.

During his visit to the 45-acre landfill site where legacy waste is being processed, MCC Commissioner C.L. Anand said leachate from legacy waste has contaminated the groundwater in the vicinity and made it non-potable. Mr. Anand said no study has so far been made on the impact of water contamination.

“This is a serious concern. No study has so far been made anywhere in the State on the impact of seepage of leachate in the areas surrounding landfill sites. Not just the crops and vegetables, the milk of the cow, which feeds on grass grown using this contaminated water, will have serious impact on peoples’ health,” the Upalokayukta said.

Mr. Anand said he will request the National Institute of Technology – Karnataka, Surathkal, to conduct the study and submit a report to the Lokayukta. The Commissioner said of four lakh tons of legacy waste at the site, the contract agency authorised to process the waste, has so far processed one lakh tons. The GAIL has proposed to set up a plant to generate power by processing 80 tons of wet waste per day.

Earlier Mr. Veerappa visited the place at the site where a private firm has been processing household wet waste to produce organic manure. Additional Deputy Commissioner G. Santosh Kumar accompanied the Upalokayukta.

He also visited post-metric hostels for Scheduled Caste girls, near PVS Junction, in Mangaluru and WenlockHospital on Sunday.