MEANING OF LAND POLLUTION

Land Pollution can simply be defined as the contamination or

degradation of earth surface. This can be caused by several factors. Soil
that is contaminated becomes less productive and this reduces the value
of land.

Land pollution can mean the misuse of land by human beings. Using this
resource in the wrong way would lead to a fall in its value. A common
example is excessively farming on a piece of land without allowing time
for it to remain fallow and build up nutrients. It also refers to the
deterioration or degradation of land surfaces. When this happens, the
affected pieces of land become less productive and their maximum value
cannot be realized. Land pollution is also the process of introducing
pollutants or contaminants into the surface ecosystem. The natural
environment, including land, is affected or polluted by these impurities.
Any type of destruction that is done to the surface of the earth is basically
land pollution. This can come in different forms and can be caused by
various reasons.

Land pollution, the deposition of solid or liquid waste materials on land

or underground in a manner that can contaminate
the soil and groundwater, threaten public health, and cause unsightly
conditions and nuisances.
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Poor children gathering recyclable materials from a garbage dump in
Manila.

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 LAND POLLUTION IN GUJARAT

Excerpts from the Gujarat Ecology Commission report, “State of Land

Resources in Gujarat” prepared in association with the Institute of Rural
Management, Anand:

Having achieved tremendous growth in the industrial sector Gujarat has

emerged as one of the leading industrialized states of India. The state has
attracted the highest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and is now the most
favored industrial investment destination of the country. FDI accounts for
22 percent of the country’s investment flow and Gujarat happens to lead
FDI investments in India. Economic activity in Gujarat is based on a
strong foundation provided by the manufacturing sector. The state has
shifted its industrial policy from cluster and industrial estates-based
industries to Special Economic Zones (SEZs). It has now shifted towards
Industrial Regions and Special Investment Regions (SIRs) expanding the
state’s vision to become the largest business hub in Asia and global
investment destination.

Gujarat has now become the fastest-growing state in terms of industrial

development, with chemical, petrochemical, drugs and pharmaceuticals,
textiles, pesticide and fertilizer industries dominating. All these have an
impact on natural resources including land and water. Any developmental
activity is bound to put pressure on resources if it is not planned and
carried out in a judicious manner. With increased industrial development
there is a need for scientific disposal of waste and management of natural
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resources in the light of environmental sustainability and sustainable
development.

Hazardous waste poses a substantial threat to public health and the

environment. Characteristic hazardous wastes are materials that are
known or tested to exhibit ignitibility, reactivity, corrosivity, and toxicity.
The major industrial sectors in the state produce large quantities of
hazardous waste. The state has been coping with the increasing generation
of hazardous waste by implementing a stringent law and policy and by
creating numerous scientifically engineered disposal sites. Yet there have
been some instances of sites being contaminated due to the illegal
dumping of hazardous wastes.

Gujarat has 7,751 hazardous waste generating units contributing to 28.76

percent of the total hazardous waste generation of India, which is the
highest in the country. The state has been generating major quantities of
waste which is land disposable hazardous waste. The land disposable
hazardous waste generation in the state accounts for 61.75 percent, while
incinerable and recyclable waste together accounts for 38.25 percent. The
contributions of various states with respect to the country’s total land
disposable hazardous waste generation amounts to 40.58 percent while
36.75 percent comprises incinerable and remaining recyclable waste.

The major hotspots of waste generation may be found in the Bharuch and
Ahmadabad districts. They account for 46 percent of the total amount of
industrial hazardous waste generated in Gujarat. An inventory prepared
by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reveals that the total land
disposable hazardous waste generation in the state stands at 11,07,128
tone’s per annum (TPA) while the total treatment stabilization disposal
facilities (TSDF) capacity is at 4,47,401 TPA. It shows that TSDF
capacity has a deficit of 6,59,727 TPA. Immediate attention is called for
to lower this gap to reduce environmental and land degradation.

The huge amount of hazardous waste generated by industries would

require land for its disposal through scientific channels. Industrial
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hazardous waste contains certain heavy metals as well asphyto-toxic
organic compounds among other substances. When discharged on land,
even at relatively low levels can affect the soil health, soil quality, and
productivity of land. Industries also generate non-hazardous (high
volume-low hazard) wastes that are mostly discarded over open, low lying
land. This can degrade both land quality and the aesthetic value of the
place. The size of land required to dispose the waste in an engineered
landfill, assuming the average density of waste to be around 1.2 tone’s/m3
and the depth of the landfill 4 meter, would be around 108 ha every year.
This can be applied to future waste projections to arrive at future land
requirements for the disposal of hazardous waste. A state like Gujarat
which generates the largest share of hazardous waste in the country, would
require more land for waste disposal in order to prevent high rate of land
degradation.

The rapid industrial growth in the state has created tremendous pressure
on land resources which are required to be converted into non-agricultural
land, particularly in the fringe areas of the urban centers and in the
neighborhood of industrial estates. Another dimension is the industrial
pollution. The toxic effluents from industries are causing damage to crops
and neighboring land resources. Tenth Five Year Plan of the Government
of India pointed out that relatively more industrialized states like Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh face problems relating to
toxic and hazardous wastes which include sludge contaminated with
heavy metals, wastes from paints, dyes and organic chemical units and
highly acidic and alkaline wastes.

Industries in Gujarat have been classified into Red, Orange and Green,
based on the total quantity and characteristics of different types of
hazardous wastes generated, and type of production in industrial units.

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These are:

• Red- highly polluting industries

• Orange- moderately polluting industries

• Green – non polluting industries

There are 16,770 (red category) industrial units registered under highly
polluting industry category in Gujarat, which has increased by more than
three times during 2006 and 2012. Similarly the Orange category
industrial units have also increased three fold during the same period.
Green category of industries has increased from merely 828 units in 2006-
07 to 4654 units in 2011-12 indicating more than five times increase in a
period of five years duration, showing a positive sign of green
development trajectory.

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Causes of Land Pollution
There are several factors that can lead to the pollution of land. Some occur
naturally while others come about as a result of human activities. Here are
some of the common causes of land degradation:

(i) Excessive Use of Pesticides: Some farmers use pesticides excessively

and end up contaminating the soil. This affects the quality of soil and also

destroys the useful microorganisms found in it. This happens because

there are some farmers who believe that by using a large quantity of these
chemicals, they eliminate any possible threat from the destructive
organisms. What they forget is that by so doing, they destroy or degrade
the very land that they expect to give them a high yield of crops. When
these chemicals are used excessively, they drip to the ground and cause
land pollution.

(ii) Indiscriminate cutting down of trees: Massive deforestation is

another factor that causes land pollution. Trees serve a very important
purpose in improving the quality of soil and land. They increase soil
aeration, improve soil fertility, create water catchment zones and through
their decaying leaves, they form soil. So when deforestation occurs, soil
is exposed to intense sunlight that causes evaporation of water, death of
useful bacteria in the soil and ultimately a reduction in soil fertility. This
degradation of soil is what is known as land pollution. The net effects are
many and far-reaching. Massive deforestation has contributed too many

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pieces of land being declared unsuitable for agriculture because of the soil
quality. Even when used for farming, the yield would be awfully low.

(iii) Poor disposal of untreated waste: Some industries dispose

untreated waste in a poor manner and these leads to land pollution.
Industrial wastes contain so many harmful chemicals that degrade the
quality of the soil. As we discussed earlier, some human activities,
especially those that are done intentionally, contribute so much to land
pollution. Even human excreta that is not disposed of properly leads to the
pollution of land.

(iv) Acid Rain: Chemical pollutants such as greenhouse gases and

emissions from motor vehicles may cause acid rain. This type of rainfall
affects the quality of soil and may cause crops to die. Remember that the

level of soil acidity plays a very important role in determining the quality
of soil and the type of crops that can thrive on it. An optimum level of pH
is required for any piece of land to be declared ideal for farming. Acidic
rain leads to the introduction of so many harmfully chemicals into the
ground and renders that surface of the earth useless. It also gives rise to
contaminated underground water that is unfit for human consumption and
not good for uptake by plants.

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(v) Poor Farming Techniques: A high crop yield can only be realized
through smart farming techniques. Poor farming methods cause soil
degradation. What are some of these methods? A common practice is
where a farmer uses the land continuously without allowing it time to lie
fallow and increase fertility. Non-stop farming means that minerals found
in a particular piece of land will all be used up. Another poor farming
method that causes land pollution is the lack of mixed farming. It is known
that legumes release nitrates into the soil and growing them together with
other crops such as corn can increase the fertility of the soil and lead to a
higher yield. Lack of crop rotation and use of chemical fertilizers also lead
to soil degradation.

(vi) Economic activities: Land is a factor of production and a very

important one at that. It is therefore used for a lot of economic activities
by human beings. One such economic activity is mining. Even though

mining has created several billionaires, it also destroys land. Underground

tunnels and dumping of mineral residues cause specific surfaces to be
impossible to use for human settlement or farming. This activity
particularly reduces the quality of soil in a major way. It’s also why very
little agriculture goes on in mining towns. The quality of land is so poor
that plant life cannot be supported. The chemicals released into the
atmosphere as a result of the machines used also cause land degradation.

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(vii) Accidental oil spills: This is another cause of land pollution. An
accidental collapse of an oil rig can cause spillage that affects a large

surface of land. It can take up to several years before the land is fit again
for agricultural activities. Crude oil makes land unable to support plant
life because of the chemicals that it contains. Reclaiming such a piece land
takes a lot of money and in most cases, it’s usually left to lie fallow.

Effects of Land Pollution

Pollution, any type that is, has never been good. That’s why land pollution
has many negative effects that impact both plant, animal, and
microorganisms lives as well as humans. These are some of the effects of
land pollution:

(i) Lack of Land for Agriculture: Farming is one thing that greatly
depends on land fertility for higher yields. Land pollution thus leads to
less agriculture as most farmers find it increasingly difficult to realize any
meaningful harvest. Polluted land, like those with chemical wastes and oil
spills, can also not be used for farming unless they are first reclaimed.
Most of the foods eaten by humans are produced from the ground. Even
those aren’t are made with substances that have either been extracted from
plants or animals. The importance of agriculture can therefore not be
stressed enough. Countries that experience food insecurity mostly suffer
because of lack of ideal land for farming. Since many forests have been
massively destroyed, climate changes for the worst and soil quality falls.

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(ii) Loss of Biodiversity: Land pollution affects the ecosystem negatively

by causing loss of biodiversity. This then triggers a chain reaction that

upsets the environment in many different ways. An ecosystem with high
biodiversity thrives and most of the living organisms within it enjoy good
health. When this is lost, several chains are interrupted and continuity is
affected. Land is a very important part of the environment and when it’s
polluted, it becomes less productive and leads to loss of biodiversity. The
future generation is, therefore, likely to inherit a more hostile earth.

(iii) Health Problems: Eating crops harvested from polluted farms can
cause many health complications. Introducing these chemicals into the
body system can result into diseases such as cancer. Also coming into
contact with such materials when farming can cause irritation to the skin
as well as breathing complications. It’s necessary to watch the type of
food that we eat but that alone is not enough. One should also be aware of
where that particular food was grown because these chemicals are still
contained in the crop even after harvesting.

(iv) Expensive Process of Land Reclamation: Reclaiming polluted land

is not a walk in the park. It is a complicated process and quite expensive.

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Turning a polluted piece of land into a productive one will thus set you
back financially. That means that money that would have otherwise been
used elsewhere is channeled to this process. There is also no guarantee
that it will be as productive as it were before it was affected.

(v) Contaminated ground water: Most of the ground water comes from
rain. When rain falls, water drains into the ground and is stored within the

earth. Land pollution, especially from chemical spills and contaminated

material, may cause this water to be contaminated. Underground water is
used in many ways. It is taken up by plants and also used by humans
domestically. As a result of these chemicals, the water is rendered unfit
for human consumption and the plants that use it are also likely to wither
and die. The quality of soil will be affected too because chemicals reduce
soil fertility and the resulting acidity or alkalinity may not be conducive
for plant growth. This is how mindless human actions can seriously affect
the environment.

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(vi) The emergence of tough weeds: Pollution may weaken the growth

of food crops and result in the emergence of tough weeds that hamper
their growth and affect the overall yield. This happens when land cannot
sustain the growth of native plants and weeds take the opportunity to
thrive.

(vii) Related Pollution: The pollution of land can give rise to pollution
of other areas of the ecosystem. For example, contaminated dust can lead
to air pollution while acidic ground water can result in acidic rain. This
happens because several parts of the ecosystem are interdependent.
Pollution in one part, can, therefore, result in pollution of several other
components.

EFFECT ON HUMAN HEALTH

Plastic wastes contain poly vinyl chloride, phthalates, poly carbonate, polystyrene,
and acrylic which are known to cause birth defects, cancer, breathing difficulties,
eye irritations and skin diseases.
Coming in contact with heavy metals or ingesting them causes poisoning.
Chromium, mercury, lead, cadmium cause liver damage, lung and kidney diseases.
Arsenic with Asbestos causes cancer.
Deforestation
Deforestation destroys ecosystems, leads to loss of resources for flora and fauna,
causing them to move away. Soil erosion, acidification, runoff, and leaching are
squealed of deforestation. Scenic spots lose tourism revenue when land pollution
occurs.

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Sources Methods

Agriculture • accumulation of animal manures

• excessive input of chemical fertilizers

• illicit dumping of tainted crops on land

Mining and • using of explosives to blow up mines using

Quarrying of machineries which emits toxic byproducts
and leaks to the ground

Sewage sludge • improper sanitation system causes sludge

to leak at surrounding soil

Dredged spoils • improper method of dredging at fertile

land causes soil infertility, leaving the soil
more prone to external pollution

0Household • improper waste disposal system causes

waste accumulation improper sanitation
system

Demolition and • non biodegradable rubbles or debris which

construction are not cleared settled in the soil undergo
chemical reactions and increase soil toxicity

Industrial • poisonous/toxic emissions of gases which

are not filtered or neutralized

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How to Solve the Menace that is Land Pollution
Since most of the causes of land pollution are as a result of human
activities, a lot of the solutions should also be geared towards changing
the actions of people. These are some of the solutions to this problem:

(i) Recycling of Waste Material: Instead of throwing out waste material

that causes land pollution, it would be prudent to recycle them and make
new products. This reduces the degradation of land and also the pollution
of air and water bodies. It’s a practice that is very sustainable and great
for the environment. It would cut manufacturing costs and keep the
environment clean. The main focus should be on materials that are not
biodegradable because they are the ones that mostly pollute land.
Households can have separate waste collection bins that are specifically
meant for recyclable material. Industries should also make it a part of their
operations strategy to do recycling wherever possible.

(ii) Organic Farming: This is a smart farming method that is highly

necessary in the modern world. The use of chemical fertilizers leads to

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land pollution and several other health complications. Some of these
fertilizers can also alter the soil pH and make the farm unable to support
plant growth. Organic farming is a great way to increase the fertility of
soil and improve crop yield. Some of the practices that are often adopted
with this type of farming include using organic manure such as animal
waste and compost. They do not contain any chemicals and are therefore
good for farming and for the conservation of land quality. Crops grown
through organic farming are also very healthy and ideal for human
consumption.

(iii) Waste Treatment: Industries should make it their responsibility to

treat any waste material or substances before disposing of them. In this

way, they prevent the introduction of harmful chemicals into the soil. The
problem with industries that dispose of untreated chemical wastes is that
they do it continuously and therefore cause a lot of damage to the
environment. It is never really a one-off operation. When they take the
initiative and treat these wastes, they do a lot of good to the environment.

(iv) Education and Awareness: What does the earth mean to you? How

much do you value your planet? Pollution affects everyone, even the
bystanders, so it’s much better when you take the initiative to do

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something about it. In your own small way, you can work towards having
a clean planet. Some people are just naturally environmentally conscious,
while others require a little prodding to do what is necessary. This is where
education comes in. Teaching people about the effects of land pollution
and what can be done to reduce it is a job that cannot be left to just the
government alone. Yes, the government can do its bit by introducing it
into the school curriculum and running media ads as well as organizing
for grassroots awareness campaigns, but the civil societies and families
can also play their parts in creating awareness. Family heads can impact
into their households good values so that environmental conservation
becomes their way of life. When people are knowledgeable enough, they
tend to do what is right. A change in mindset definitely goes a long way
in reducing land pollution.

(v) Introducing Appropriate Legislation: Policy makers should

introduce appropriate legislation that would deter those who would want
to pollute the environment. Sometimes people act out of fear, especially
when the consequences of their bad actions are dire. This would stop
companies from carelessly disposing of their wastes, encourage the
establishment of good agricultural practices and set standards for different
products that are manufactured and sold. Having a national policy on land
pollution and the use of land itself as a resource would play an important
role in reducing or eliminating this problem. Global policies that deal with
the issues of land pollution on a global scale would also help.

(vi) Using Spill-Proof Containers to Store Chemicals: To prevent

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pollution from chemical spillage, spill-proof containers can be used.
These specially designed containers provide a safe way to store chemicals
and reducing the chances of land pollution.

(vii) Reforestation: This helps to increase forest cover and improve the
quality of soil. The restoration of forests is an important part of the process
of improving soil quality and the value of land. When we cut down trees
and fail to plant new ones, we are actually doing the environment much
disservice. It really doesn’t take much effort. Improving the forest cover
also increases biodiversity in the ecosystem and this has so many benefits.

(viii) Using Resources Efficiently: When we use resources more

efficiently, we reduce the amount of waste material that is introduced into
the environment. Some of the best practices include using less paper, less

plastic and printing out emails only when there is no other option. One
can always reuse some of these materials instead of throwing them away
after only using them once. A plastic bag, for example, can be used so
many times before being disposed of. Individuals can also consider using
biodegradable materials to avoid accumulation of waste matter on the
surface of the earth. The next time you see that simple statement at the
end of an email that says, “Do not print this email, conserve the
environment,” you should actually take it seriously. Every little action
counts because collectively, the impact is much bigger.

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 Conclusion
Land is such an important part of this planet that we cannot afford to waste
or degrade it. We have seen that most of the causes of land pollution are
actually human activities. Some of them are deliberate while others
happen due to lack of information and others as accidents.

Many of the factors that cause land pollution could be avoided if only we
became proactive and realized that the conservation of the planet is every
human being’s responsibility. Sometimes we fall sick from diseases such
as cancer and begin to wonder what could have gone wrong. Maybe it’s
the food we eat or the air we breathe that is contaminated and making us
ill. Plants that have been harvested from contaminated land are likely to
affect our healthy because of the chemicals we ingest. The air we breathe
also contains dust particles from polluted pieces of land. It is something
that must be approached from every angle.

Land pollution has several ripple effects and sometimes with far much
worse consequences. The biggest question that everyone should be asking
him or herself should be, “How can I make the earth more habitable?”
When we answer this, we do what is right and reduce pollution. Some of
the natural disasters such as famine, drought, and floods occur as a result
of land degradation. Why then can’t we, as the inhabitants of this planet,
do what is necessary to keep it clean and make it better? The issue of land
conservation should be part and parcel of our daily activities. It is not an
event that happens once but a continuous process. When we adopt that
line of thinking, we will do what we must and reduce land degradation.

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