URBAN ECOSYSTEM: PROBLEM AND

MANAGEMENT OF SOLID WASTE

By:

Subhash AnandSSN College, Delhi University

Delhi – 110036 (INDIA)

Municipal solid waste includes commercial and residential wastes generated in municipal or notified areas (Management and Handling Rules, 2000). In other words, it is a heterogeneous mixture of paper, plastics, cloth, glass, organic matter etc.

Urban solid waste consist of household wastes, construction and demolition debris, sanitation residues, industrial and hospital waste (Planning Commission, 1995).

According to World Health Organization, the term "Solid Waste" is applied to unwanted and discarded materials from houses, street sweepings, commercial and agriculture operations arising out of mass activities.

Solid waste can be defined in terms of unwanted residues, solid or semi–solid that is thrown away by domestic, industrial and commercial sectors. The words rubbish, garbage, trash, refuse or junk are often used as synonyms when talking about solid waste

SOLID WASTE

• Solid Waste Management is a process of Generation , Segregation Collection, Transportation, Processing, Disposal and Utilization of waste materials.•The main purpose of solid waste management is to minimize the adverse effects the human and environment. •Waste management practices differ for developed and developing nations, for urban and rural areas, and for residential and industrial producers.

•About ¾ of the MSW generated in urban India is collected and disposed off in non- scientifically managed dumping grounds.

• Improper SWM contributes to 6% of India’s methane emissions and is the third largest emitter of methane in India and causing Climate Change. This is much higher than the global average to 3% methane emissions from solid waste.

•.

Solid Waste Management

Since the beginning, Human kind has been generating waste.

It could be in the form of:Bones

Other parts of animals they slaughterWood

With the progress of civilization the waste generated became of a more complex nature.

At the end of 19th century (Industrial revolution) there was rise in the world of consumers.

The increase in population , urbanization and changing lifestyle is also largely responsible for the increase and composition of in solid waste.

Residential

Kitchen waste, garden trimmings paper, glass, metal, rubber, plastic, wood etc.

Institutional and Commercial

Paper, cardboard, glass, napkin, food waste etc.

Municipal SolidWaste Materials

Street Sweeping

Roadside litter, dust, soil, plant leaves etc.

Construction and Demolition

Concrete, bricks, plaster, stones, soil etc.

Classification of Solid Wastes Solid waste is usually categorized as per their sources, composition, processing potential and environmental consideration. A general classification is as follow:

Household Waste derived from residential neighborhoods is the largest component of urban solid waste.

Commercial Waste consists of shops, restaurants, hotels, business establishment, market wastes varied in totality but each specific sources may have only one type of waste material.

Institutional Waste generate from government offices, religious institutes, schools, colleges, universities. Generally it contain a large amount of paper and other light material.

Hospital Waste is produced during diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings and in research activities and testing of biologicals.

Industrial Waste derived from enterprises such as packaging materials, leather products, wool and textile factories and assembly enterprises for imported goods. This waste tends to be specific to the city concerned and linked to local natural resources forming the basis for local industry.

Bio-degradable Waste include those waste which reduce biologically, such as food waste, flowers, fruit waste, garden waste, kitchen waste, etc.

Non-Biodegradable Waste are those materials which can not be degraded, which require artificial means of processing to reduce its amount and are not perishable.

Hazardous Waste generally hospital and industrial waste is considered as hazardous waste, it is harmful for the human, animals and plants affecting the proper functioning of the ecosystem. It consists toxic elements.

Compostable Wastes are those wastes on which the microorganisms can feed and reduce the quantity with the help of biological processes. Such wastes can act as good nutrient fertilizers for vegetative cover without disturbing the ecosystem.

Combustible Wastes includes those materials, which can be burnt down in order to properly dispose off although the residue remains of very small percentage is left behind and can be mixed with the soil.

Inert Waste includes the wastes, which does not react with any chemical composition and hence retain their present nature of composition, even, if they all dumped into the soil or set ablazed.

Municipal Solid WasteThe term Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is commonly used to describe most of the non-hazardous solid wastes from an area that requires routine collection and transportation, processing and disposal of it. It contains a wide variety of materials.

ComponentDescription

Food wastes The animal, fruit or vegetable residues (also called garbage) resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking, and eating of foods. Because food wastes are putrescible, they will decompose rapidly, especially in warm weather.

Rubbish Combustible and noncombustible solid wastes, excluding food wastes or other putrescible materials. Typically, combustible rubbish consists of materials such as paper, cardboard, plastics, textiles, rubber, leather, wood, furniture, and garden trimmings. Noncombustible rubbish consists of items such as glass, crockery, tin cans, ferrous and nonferrous metals, dirt, and construction wastes.

Ashes and residues Materials remaining from the burning of wood, coal, coke, and other combustible wastes, Residues from power plants normally are not included in this category. Ashes and residues are normally composed of fine, powdery materials, cinders, clinkers and small amounts of burned and partially burned materials.

Demolition and construction wastes

Wastes from razed buildings and other structures are classified as demolition wastes. These wastes may include dirt, stones, concrete, bricks, plaster, lumber shingles, and plumbing, heating and electrical parts.

Special wastes Wastes such as street sweeping, roadside litter, catch-basin debris, dead animals, and abandoned vehicles are classified as special wastes.

Treatment plants wastes

The solid and semisolid wastes from water, wastewater, and industrial waste treatment facilities are included in the classification.

Classification of Materials Comprising Municipal Solid Waste

The type of litter we generate and the approximate time it takes to degenerate

Type of litter Approximate time it takes to degenerate the litter

Organic waste such as vegetable and fruit peels, leftover foodstuff, etc

A week or two.

Paper 10–30 days

Cotton cloth 2–5 months

Wood 10–15 years

Woolen items 1 year

Tin, aluminum, and other metal items such as cans

100–500 years

Plastic bags one million years

Glass bottles undetermined

Characteristics of Municipal Solid Waste

Compostable / Bio-degradable = 30% - 55% matter (can be converted into manure)

Inert material = 40% - 45% (to go to landfill)

Recyclable materials = 5% - 10% (Recycling)

These percentages vary from city to city depending on food habits, lifestyle and socio-economic conditions.

Current global MSW generation levels are approximately 1.3 billion tonnes per year, and are expected to increase to approximately 2.2 billion tonnes per year by 2025.

This represents a significant increase in per capita waste generation rates, from 1.2 to 1.42 kg per person per day in the next fifteen years.

GLOBAL MSW GENERATION

The average per capita waste generation in India is 370 grams/day as compared to 2,200 grams in Denmark, 2,000 grams in US and 700 grams in China

Among the four geographical regions in India, Northern India generates the highest amount of MSW (40,500 TPD or 14.8 million TPY), 30% of all MSW generated in India; and Eastern India (23,500 TPD or 8.6 million TPY) generates the least, only 17% of MSW generated in India.

MSW GENERATION IN INDIA

Composition of MSW in India and Regional Variation

Change in Composition of Indian MSW 1973, 1995 and 2005

Cities Generating Different Quantities of MSW

City Waste (TPD)

Per Capita / Day (Kg)

Compostable (%)

Recyclable (%)

Delhi 5922 0.57 54.42 15.52

Greater Mumbai

5320 0.45 62.44 16.66

Chennai 3036 0.62 51.34 16.34

Kolkatta 2653 0.58 50.56 11.48

Hyderabad 2187 0.57 54.20 21.60

Bangalore 1669 0.39 51.84 22.43

Ahmedabad 1302 0.37 40.81 11.65

Pune 1175 0.46 62.44 16.66

Kanpur 1100 0.43 47.52 11.93

Surat 1000 0.41 56.87 11.21

Source: CPCB, 2006

The six metro cities, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru together generate 48,000 TPD (17.5 million TPY) of MSW.

Currently, India has 53 cities with populations greater than one million, generating 86,245 TPD (31.5 million TPY), which is about 46 % of the total MSW generated in urban India.

The remaining 313 cities studied generate 15.7 million TPY (43,000 TPD), 23% of the total urban MSW, only half of that generated by the 53 cities with million plus population.

366 cities which represent 70% of India’s urban population and generate 130,000 TPD or 47.2 million TPY at a per capita waste generation rate of 500 grams/day. This implies the total MSW generated by urban India could be as much as 188,500 TPD or 68.8 million TPY.

CITIES / TOWNS CLASS I CLASS II

No. of Cities 299 345

Total Population 1281138655 22375588

Waste Generation (MT/d)

48134 1454

Mode of collection

Manually 50% 78 %

Trucks 49 % 21 %

Others 1 % 1 %

Disposal

Dumping 94 % 93 %

Composting 5 % 6 %

Others 1 % 1 %

Status of Solid Waste Management in Class I Cities

and Class II Towns

Community

NGO

Municipality

FormalActivities

MUNICIPALSOLID WASTE

MANAGEMENT

InformalActivities

Public-Private PartnershipWholesaler

Waste Picker

Dealer

Deficiencies in Waste Storage and Collection System

Waste spread over the roads, streets, gardens, commercial areas which have given rise to problem for residents. Some of deficiencies are as follows:

•Lack of dhalaos and litter bins in the city;•There is no any standard for fixing the dhalaos and dustbins;•Unequal distribution of waste receptacles in each and every zone of cities;•Bins and dhalaos are not cleared regularly;•Lack of proper maintenance of dhalaos, dustbins and waste storage points;•Lack of civic sense and bad habits of people to litter;•Lack of public awareness, motivation and education;•Lack of cooperation from households, trade and commerce;•No provision for door to door collection of waste in most of areas;•Lack of coordination on municipal staff;•Lack of financial resources;•Resistance to change the attitude.

Deficiencies in Waste Transportation SystemPopulation and generation of waste is less but the collection points are more in numbers whereas in many others, situation is just reverse. Transport system is not synchronized with the secondary storage systems. Number of regular operators is much lesser than required. Transport vehicles are not covered which is against the guidelines given by the Supreme Court;Vehicles are poorly maintained. It is because of an inadequate workshop facilities and maintenance procedures.Spare parts are not readily available, because the procurement system is cumbersome and slow; Mostly waste transport vehicles have to travel on major roads which remains very much congested due to long route traffic passing through city;Encroachments across the lanes also pose a problem. Transportation from the inner lanes of the city is found very difficult;All types of mixed waste including hazardous and construction material are removed by transport vehicles.

PROBLEMS IN SOLID WASTE SECTOR

Lack of planning for waste management while planning townships

Lack of proper institutional set up for waste management, planning and designing in urban local bodies

Lack of technically trained manpower

Lack of community involvement

Lack of expertise and exposure to city waste management using modern techniques / best practices

Lack of awareness creation mechanism

Lack of Management Information Systems

Lack of funds with ULBs

Indifferent attitude of ULBs to levy user charges and sustainability

MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE 

ENVIRONMENT IMPACT HEALTH  

AIR WATER LAND COMMUNITY RAG STRAY

PICKERS ANIMALS  

 AIR POLLUTION AIR BORNE DISEASESWATER CONTAMINATION WATER BORNE DISEASESLAND POLLUTION SKIN DISEASES

IMPACTS OF IMPROPER SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

1. Improper solid waste management causes a. Air Pollution, b. Water Pollution and c. Soil Pollution.

2. MSW clogs drains, creating a. stagnant water for insect breeding and b. floods during rainy seasons

3. Greenhouse gases are generated from the decomposition of organic wastes in landfills.

4. Insect and rodent vectors are attracted to the waste and can spread diseases such as cholera and dengue fever.

5. Some Health Problems linked to improper solid waste management are, a. Nose & throat infections, b. Lung infection, c. Breathing problems, d. Infection, Inflammation, e. Bacterial infections, f. Covert lung hemorrhage, g. Altered immunity, h . Allergy, asthma and i. Other infections.

• Most solid waste is dumped in landfills without sorting or treatment leading to air, land and water pollution/foul odour/unsightliness .

• The landfills/dump sites are – an eyesore– flies; vulture; dogs, cattle, human involved in rag picking transmit

diseases to nearby human population.– 22 human diseases linked to improper solid waste management.– The organic fraction of the MSW attracts rodents and vector insects. – Leachete, also called percolate, is the liquid produced by the

biodegradation of waste and by the seepage of water through waste.

LANDFILL SITES

• Landfill Gas is a source of air pollution originating in sanitary landfill sites.

• Landfill Gas created by anaerobic decomposition of organic matter by various micro-organisms.

•  Composition of Landfill Gas

– 45% to 60% Methane (CH4)

– 35% to 50% Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

– Remaining - Nitrogen (N2) , Sulphar (S) & Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) that are generally very smelly.

• Cancer causing compounds such as benzene and polyvinyl chloride.

VARIOUS TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS RECOMMENDED FOR WASTE PROCESSING

TOWNS GENERATING GARBAGE

UPTO 50 METRIC TONS / DAY(MT/DAY) = VERMI-COMPOSTING

BETWEEN 50 MT & 500 MT / DAY = VERMI-COMPOSTING + MECHANICAL COMPOSTING

MORE THAN 500 MT / DAY = MECHANICAL COMPOSTING + REFUSE DERIVED FUEL(RDF) FROM REJECTS KEEPING IN

VIEW THE TYPE OF THE CITY (INDUSTRIAL OR NON-

INDUSTRIAL) OR

BIO-METHANATION

METHODS FOR MSW MANAGEMENT

Earth Cover

Sanitary Landfill

Incineration

Composting

Refuge Derived Fuel

Gas Recovery

Bio-Methnation

4 R’s Principle

Reduction

Reuse

Recycling

Processing

Incineration

Sanitary Landfilling

DumpingLeastPreferred

Most Preferred

Integrated Solid Waste Management Strategy

Waste Processing should be Technically sound, Financially viable, Eco-friendly, Easy to operate & maintain by local community in Long term sustainability

4 R’s CONCEPTFour R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and

Resource Recovery) to be followed for waste management.

Developing Countries1. No Source Separation of waste2. More organic waste3. Storage, Collection and

Transportation is poor.4. Disposal method is

unsustainable5. No EIA of landfills study6. Negative impact on env & rag

pickers.7. Waste service is not as per

requirement8. Low emphasis on 4 R’s

Principle.9. Low coordination and

accountability B/W Agencies.10. People participation &

awareness is low.

Developed Countries

1. Separation of waste in 2 bins.2. More recyclable waste3. Storage, Collection and

Transportation is efficient.4. Disposal methods are Scientific.5. Regular EIA of landfill study.6. V. low impact on health and env.7. Waste services is as per people

'choice.8. Highest Priorities to 4 R’s

Principle.9. Good coordination and full

accountability B/W Agencies.10. High level of participation and

awareness.

Solid Waste Management

AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR MSW MANAGEMENT IN INDIAMinistry of Environment and Forest (Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2000). According to MSWM Rule, 2000 every municipal body is responsible for collection, storage, segregation, transportation, processing and disposal of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in an environment friendly manner.

Ministry of Urban Development

Urban Local Bodies

Central Pollution Control Board

State Pollution Control Board

NGO’s (eg Shristi, Vatavaran)

Resident Welfare Association’s (RWA)

PPP

EIGHT NATIONAL MISSIONS UNDER NAPCC

DELHI: SECTORS IDENTIFIED UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE AGENDA

SCENARIO OF SOLID WASTE MANGEMENT IN DELHI

20 0 20 40 60

Kilometers

RI

V

ER

Y AM

UN

A

77° 0'E 77° 15'

77° 0' 77° 15'

28°45'

28°

30' 28°30'

28°45'

URBAN DELHIN.C.T. DELHI

URBAN AREA

N

S

H

94.2

2

2.88

2.89

96.9

6

2.14

0.99

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

MCD NDMC DCB

Bodies

Per

cen

tag

e

Area

Population

Area and Population of Local Bodies (2011)

Source: Compilation based on Census Reports.

YearTotal

Population

Urban Population

(%)1901 405891 51.451911 413851 56.351921 488452 62.321931 636241 70.331941 917939 75.791951 1744072 82.401961 2658612 88.751971 4065698 89.681981 6220406 92.731991 9420644 89.932001 13850507 93.012011 16753235 97.49

6.03%

5.57% 0.99%0.23%

38.6%13.89%

34.71%

Bio degradable

Inert Material

Bio-resistant

Plastic

Paper

Metal

Glass andcrockery

Waste Generation and Composition

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

City

Cen

tral

Kar

ol B

agh

Sou

th

Sha

hdar

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)

Roh

ini

Civ

il Li

nes

Wes

t

Sad

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Sha

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a (N

)

Nar

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Naj

afga

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Zone

Gra

ms

Pe

r C

ap

ita

/da

y

(r = 0.98)

DELHINUMBER OF SANITARY WORKERSIN MCD ZONES

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Na

jafg

arh

Na

rela

So

uth

We

st

Ce

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Sa

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Sh

ah

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)

Ka

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ag

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Zone

To

tal S

co

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f W

as

te S

erv

ice

s

LeastServed

Moderately Served Lower High

HighServed

Ka

rol B

ag

h

Sh

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ra (

S)

Ce

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City

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Na

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-7

-6

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-4

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1

2

3

4

5

6

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Zone

To

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Highly Served High Moderately ServedLower Moderately Served Least Served

WASTE SERVICE INDEX BASED ON Z-SCORE

EXISTING LANDFILL SITES IN DELHI

Source: Gupta, 2009

Landfill Sites of Delhi

Rag pickers at Okhla landfill site

Stray animals at Ghazipur landfill site Air and Water pollution at Bhalaswa landfill site

GHGs EMISSION FROM LANDFILL SITES

•The landfill Gas consists of about 45% to 60% Methane (CH4), 35% to 50% Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and remaining Nitrogen (N2), Sulphar (S), etc.

•The total methane flux calculated for three landfill areas of Delhi (Gazipur, Bhalswa and Okhla) is as 0.54 Gg/year.

•It is relatively in higher side as compare to the total methane emission estimated from MSW landfill sites in India i.e., from 0.30 - 1.8 Tg per year.

•By 2020 Delhi alone will contribute about 10 % of total methane emission from municipal solid waste in India.

Trend of Solid Waste Generation in IndiaTrend of Methane Emission in India

Source: Singhal and Pandey, 2001

SOLID WASTE AND METHANE EMISSION IN INDIA

Year Present 2015 2020 2024

Population 1.62 Cr.(16.2

Million)

1.99 Cr.(19.9

Million)

2.23 Cr.(22.3

Million)

2.45 Cr.(24.5

Million)

Daily Visitors

0.06 Cr.(0.6

Million)

0.078 Cr.(0.78

Million)

0.087 Cr.(0.87

Million)

0.095 Cr.(0.95

Million)

Per Capita Waste Generation

500 Gms / day

700 Gms / day

725 Gms / day

750 Gms / day

Waste Generation

8500 (TPD)

14475 (TPD)

16800 (TPD)

19100 (TPD)

Future Scenario of MSW

Source: MCD, Delhi

54

33

13

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Always Never Sometimes

Perc

enta

ge o

f Fam

ilies

34%

23%10%

11%

11%

11%

Injuries

Jaundice

Chest pain

Asthma

Cough+Cholera

Others

Rag Pickers Suffering with Diseases

Rag Pickers are playing crucial role in SWM. They are truly environmentalists, providing thankless job in unhygienic environment and suffer from many occupational health hazard.

Major Findings about Delhi SWM

All the high population density zones (City, Karol Bagh, Sadar Paharganj) are having high rate of municipal waste production.

114 per cent growth has been recorded during 1991-2011 but infrastructural not increased proportionately.

Number of dustbins, vehicles and sanitary workers gradually declines from core to periphery zones.

90-95 per cent waste of Delhi is reaching landfill sites and increasing the height of sites. Presently, all three landfills are fully packed, overflowing and emitting various toxic gases .

About 40 per cent respondents suggested that awareness and participation among people must be enhanced.

MSW of Delhi is highly bio-degradable in nature which has higher moisture content and low calorific value and it is more suitable for composting purposes.

• Govt. launched many campaign time to time but failed because of lack of people’s participation. Level of awareness among people was found low.

• Sustainable SWM is a key to mitigate climate change caused by landfill GHGs emission.

• SWM requires not only segregation at source, proper collection, efficient transport, scientific disposal but also waste reduction, reuse, recycle and resource recovery.

• It should also incorporate new technologies for collection, processing and treatment (bio-methenation, composting, refuse derived fuel (RDF), sanitary land filling ) of MSW and reclamation and value extraction from existing dumping yards.

Sustainable Solid Waste Management

SUGGESTED READINGS

Agarwal, S.K. (2002). Eco-Informatics: Wealth from Waste Vol. III. APH Publishing Corporation, New Delhi

Annepu, R.K. (2012). Sustainable Solid Waste Management in India. Earth Engineering Center, Columbia University.

Anand, Subhash. (2010). Solid Waste Management. Mittal Publication, New Delhi

CPCB (2006). Assessment of Status of Municipal Solid Waste Management in Metro Cities and State Capitals. Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi

Dhamija, Urvashi (2006). Sustainable Solid Waste Management: Issues and Policies and Structures, Academic Foundation, Delhi.

Singh, R.B. (2006). Sustainable Urban Development, Concept Publishing House, New Delhi.