Solid Waste Management- Solid Waste Management is one of among the
basic essential services provided by municipal authorities in the country to
keep urban centers clean. However, almost all municipal authorities deposit
solid waste at a dump yard within or outside the city without concern. Experts
believe that India is following a flawed system of waste disposal and
management.
Causes of Solid Waste
Human and animal activities generate different kinds of waste.
These wastes are generally in solid form and may cause pollution of land,
water, and air unless treated and disposed of. The main source of solid
wastes is domestic, commercial, industrial, municipal, and agriculture wastes.
The composition of a city waste is as follows: -
- Paper, wood, cardboard 53 percent
- Garbage 22 percent
- Ceramics, glass, crockery 10 percent
- Metal 8 percent
- Rubber, plastic, discarded textile 7 percent
Environmental Impact
Solid waste impacts on environment directly due to
decomposition and rotten material, which causes land and water pollution when
the waste products drain down in to the underground water resources. The
organic solid waste during decomposition generates obnoxious odors and harmful
gases. Stray animals, insects and birds sometimes invade garbage heaps and
spread everywhere in air causing unhygienic and unhealthy surroundings.
What measures can be taken?
There should be technological advancement for processing,
treatment and disposal of solid waste. Energy-from-waste is a
crucial element of solid waste management because it reduces the volume of
waste from disposal and it also helps in converting the waste into renewable
energy and organic manure.
Installation of waste -to-compost and bio-methanation plants would
reduce the landfill sites. Bio-methanation is a solution for processing
biodegradable waste which remains underexploited. Several states have already
taken measures to curb solid waste pollution.
Conclusion
Around 100 cities are set to be developed smart cities. Civic bodies must
redraw long term vision in solid waste management and network
their strategies as per changing lifestyle. They should reinvent garbage
management in cities so that the processing of waste can be done and the
situation of landfill can be avoided. Household and institutions must segregate
their waste at source so that it could be managed as a resource. The center
aims to do away with landfills sites in 20 major cities. There is no spare land
for dumping garbage; the existing ones are in a critical state.
It is reported that almost 80% of the waste at Delhi landfills
sites could be recycled provided civic bodies start allowing rag pickers to
segregate waste at source and recycle it.
Compose pits should be constructed in every locality to process
organic waste. Community participation has direct bearing on efficient waste
management. Recovery of e-waste is abysmally low; we need to encourage
recycling of e-waste on a very large-scale level so that problem of e-waste
disposal is contained.
