The unprocessed waste has threatened drinking water as well as the air, which are problems that must be tackled as soon as possible, he said.

According to Ministry of Environmental Protection data, there were 935 landfills nationwide in 2008, with a combined capacity of 2.34 billion cubic meters. And 34 percent of these sites do not have any measures to prevent the pollution of the soil and groundwater, according to the ministry.

Health risks

For visitors to Yuanfuzhuang, which is 7.5 kilometers from downtown Kaifeng, it is impossible to escape the odor - a stench of rotten vegetables, decayed meat and smoky air.

Having lived in a house 50 meters from the landfill for many years, Du Na (right), a 35-year-old villager in Yuanfuzhuang, says that if she was able to afford to move, she would not allow her two children to grow up in a polluted area.

Next to the landfill, there is a chemical plant producing pesticides, which has made the air quality even worse, residents say.

"We are inhaling poisonous air every day, and we have no other choice," Du said, adding that the smell used to disgust her, but over the years she got used to it.

The landfill has deteriorated the soil, and the yield of grain and vegetables in the farmland is less than the average level of the other villages, she said.

What worries residents more is the water pollution caused by the landfill. "Whenever we boil a pot of water from underground, we find half a glass of solid deposited substances in the water," she said.

To avoid being poisoned, people buy bottled drinking water, which can be expensive for farming families. A 20-liter bottle costs 5 yuan.

Du's neighbor, 30-year-old Wang Jiansheng, said the local government had promised to drill a deep well to supply drinking water for residents, but the well has never been drilled.

"I don't oppose the construction of the landfill, but the government should first address the issue of drinking water," he said, adding that his biggest concern is for his 9-month-old son. "His physical development will definitely be affected by the pollution, but we have no other place to live."