Salem city is the fifth largest city in the state of Tamilnadu. It is an important commercial, marketing and transportation hub of the state. It is the head quarters of Salem district and the present population of the city is 8,71,577. The population is expected to grow further on account of rapid urbanization and industrialization. Presently, major environments (such as water, air, soil) has been polluted and worsened by the improper dumping and accumulation of Municipal Solid Waste at Erumapalayam dumping yard. It is estimated that the total generation of Municipal Solid waste from the city is 335 MT per day and its improper disposal causes visible water, air and soil pollution which creates health hazards.

In the present EIA study, impacts on major environments around the periphery of Erumapalayam dumping site has been estimated. The study reveals that the ground water quality around the dumping site is too poor and it is unfit for drinking purpose due to the presence of high concentration of Total dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Alkalinity (TA), Total Hardness (TH), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Nitrate (No2) and Chloride (Cl). In addition, the Water Quality Index had been evaluated to asses the water quality rating. The ambient air quality and environmental health hazard survey in and around 2 km radius of dumping site reveals that the concentration of suspended particulate matter exceeds the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (i.e 200 µg/m3). Also, Air Quality Index was calculated to identify the level of air pollution. The health hazard leads to diseases like skin allergy, fever and other respirable ailment to the human beings of this area. The soil pollution study enumerates that the fertility of the soil has been affected due to the excessive presence of soluble salts.