Municipal Solid Waste

Management in India

Prof. (Dr) A. D. Sawant

WASTE is Generated Daily by EVERYONE

Introduction

• Increase in population levels, booming economy, rapid urbanization are major issues

• Rise in community living standards accelerated MSW in developing countriesaccelerated MSW in developing countries

• Factors affecting the environmental aspect

of solid waste management in developing

countries are the lack of environmental

control systems and evaluation of the real

impacts

Urbanization• India, the world’s second highest populated country of 1.21 billion (census

2011)

• The annual rate of growth of urban population in India is 3.35% (Census of

India, 2011).

• The proportion of population living in urban areas has increased from

17.35% in 1951 to 31.2% in 2011(Census, 2011).

• High rate of population growth, declining opportunities in the rural areas

and shift from stagnant and low paying agriculture sector to more paying

urban occupationsurban occupations

• India has achieved multifaceted socio-economic progress during last 64

years of its independence.

• However, in spite of heavy expenditure by Civic bodies, Management of

Municipal Solid Wastes (MSW) continues to remain one of the most

neglected areas of urban development in India.

• Piles of garbage and wastes of all kinds littered everywhere have become

common sight in urban life.

• For most of urban local bodies in India, solid waste is a major concern that

has reached alarming proportions requiring management initiatives on a

war-footing.

Accelerating Development?

• Many Indian Cities/ States are targeting new

generation development

– IT/ ITES, BioTech

– SEZs, Financial Hubs– SEZs, Financial Hubs

– Rocketry, Supercomputers, Nuclear Power...

• But - not a single designed and well operated

MSW collection/ disposal facility in the Country

Level of Urbanizations (1901-2011); Source- Various census Reports

• It is interesting to note that for the first time since independence absolute increase in population is more in urban areas than in rural areas.

• Out of total increase of 181.4 million people during the last decade i.e. 2001-2011 90.4 million increase is in rural areas while 91.0 million is in urban areas.

Garbage Out...

• Waste generation of 0.2 to 0.45 kg/ capita/ day

• On an average, urban India generates

– 285,000,000 x 0.3 = 85,500 MT of waste in a day

– a mere trifle...– a mere trifle...

Urban Waste Scenario

• Garbage being dumped

* Polluting underground water

* Breeding flies and rats* Breeding flies and rats

* Emitting GHGs (CH4 and CO2)

* Shifting of Dumping sites away

from cities leading to higher costs

besides requirement of land

Urban Waste Scenario

• A manual and rules for disposal of

wastes have been prepared –

enforcement yet to begin enforcement yet to begin

• India ratifies Kyoto Protocol

Waste Generation & Disposal

Status in India…

• 36 % (8 out of 22) cities generate more than 1000 TPD of

waste (Ahmedabad, Delhi, Greater Mumbai, Jaipur,

Kanpur, Lucknow, Pune and Surat)

• 13.6 % (3 out of 22) cities generate waste between 500-• 13.6 % (3 out of 22) cities generate waste between 500-

1000 TPD (Indore, Ludhiana and Vadodara)

• 50 % (11 out of 22) cities generate less than 500 TPD of

waste (Agartala, Asansol, Chandigarh, Faridabad,

Guwahati, Jamshedpur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangalore,

Mysore and Shimla)

Facts Regarding MSW Management in India

• Judicial Intervention - Supreme court of India

directed the Government (s) to set in place

appropriate frameworks for dealing with MSW

• Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) • Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF)

formulated MSW rules in the year 2000, making

it mandatory for every Municipal Authority to

implement scientific solid waste management

systems.

How far Cities Fair in Compliance with

MSW rules?

Criteria Cities with

100% compliance

Cities above

50% compliance

Cities below

50% compliance

Storage at Source 8 50 78

Segregation of recyclables at at Source 2 44 84

Doorstep primary collection of waste 8 42 86

Daily Street Sweeping 35 101 37

Provision of closed containers 5 38 90

Covered waste transportation 27 69 59

Processing of Waste 4 10 118

Disposal at Engineered landfill 0 1 127

Authorization from State Pollution

Control Boards

Approved – 33 Applied – 41

Not moved - 39

Not Applied – 15

Present Waste Generation

Waste Generation & Disposal Status

in India…

• 63.6 % (14 out of 22) cities supply more than 75% of

their waste to dumpsites (Ahmedabad, Asansol,

Chandigarh, Delhi, Faridabad, Greater Mumbai,

Jaipur, amshedpur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Ludhiana,

Mangalore, Pune and Vadodara)Mangalore, Pune and Vadodara)

• Out of the 17 class I cities, 47.05 % (8) have a single

dumpsite, 29.4 % (5) have 2 dumpsites, 5.88 % (1) has

3 dumpsites and 11.76 % (2) have 4 dumpsites.

Lucknow does not have a designated dumpsite for

waste disposal

• Greater Mumbai and Ludhiana supply 100% of the

waste collected to the dumpsite

Status of Sanitary Landfills

• 45.45 % (10 out of 22) of cities do not have sanitary

landfills which includes major generators such as

Greater Mumbai, Delhi and Kanpur

• 27.27 % (6 out of 22) of cities have a sanitary landfill

(Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Jamshedpur, Mangalore,

Surat and Vadodara)Surat and Vadodara)

• Guwahati, Indore and Jaipur are in the process of

constructing a SLF and Agartala and Lucknow are

considering construction of SLF

• Gujarat emerges as one of the most active States with

respect to initiatives on solid waste management as 3

cities of the State have already constructed sanitary

landfills.

Problems of Waste Managements

• Inadequacies of existing systems

- Pollution of land, water and air

- emission of GHGs

• Increasing concerns for safe disposal• Increasing concerns for safe disposal

• Non-availability of land for landfills

• Increasing cost of transportation

• Threat to ‘Status – Quo’, fortunately!

Waste Management Program

• Hierarchy for efficiency

– Reduce

– Recycle

– Reuse– Reuse

– Treat and Dispose

• Requirements for the balance

– Management

– Technology

– Financing

MUNICIPALITY

RESPONSIBILITYCITIZENS RESPONSIBILITY

Storage in

Bins

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Local

Waste

Generation

Storage & processing at

Transfer stations

Final

Disposal

Level recycling

Household

Level recycling

Centralized

recycling

Segregation

• Community’s responsibility

– ULB to facilitate

• A long road ahead

– Would ‘full segregation’ ever be achieved?

• Organic waste neatly packed in plastic bags for

segregation?

Collection & Transportation

• The civic, social and political aspects of MSW

(NIMBY) have ensured that the collection and

transportation system has attempted to be

reasonably efficient

– This has been by way of capacity improvement to the

Urban Local Body (such as Thiruvananthapuram)

– Or by service contracts (Chennai)

• On this side, the account is reasonably positive

Disposal

• Disposal continues to be the weakest link

– Out of sight, out of mind

• Dump and forget

– Unclear objectives

• Dispose at minimum cost, choose technically superior but

possibly more expensive options, or make money in disposal?

– Unclear technology

• Dump, landfill, compost, or SWERF?

– & finally, NIMBY again!

Disposal Options

• Dumping

• Incineration

• Designed Landfills

• Composting• Composting

• Solid Waste-to-energy Recycling

– Bio-methanation, Pyrolisis

EFFECTS OF WASTE IF NOT

MANAGED WISELY

• Affects our health

• Affects our socio-economic conditions• Affects our socio-economic conditions

• Affects our coastal and marine environment

• Affects our climate

EFFECTS OF WASTE…

• GHGs are accumulating in Earth’s atmosphere as a result of human activities, causing global mean surface air temperature and subsurface ocean temperature to rise.

• Rising global temperatures are expected to raise sea levels and change precipitation and other local climate conditions.

• Changing regional climates could alter forests, crop yields, and water • Changing regional climates could alter forests, crop yields, and water supplies.

• This could also affect human health, animals, and many types of ecosystems.

• Deserts might expand into existing rangelands, and features of some of our national parks might be permanently altered.

- Some countries are expected to become warmer, although

sulfates might limit warming in some areas.

- Scientists are unable to determine which parts of those countries

will become wetter or drier, but there is likely to be an overall trend

toward increased precipitation and evaporation, more intense

EFFECTS OF WASTE…

toward increased precipitation and evaporation, more intense

rainstorms, and drier soils.

- Whether rainfall increases or decreases cannot be reliably

projected for specific areas.

Effects of waste….

• Activities that have altered the chemical composition of the

atmosphere:

- Buildup of GHGs primarily carbon dioxide (CO2) methane (CH4),

and nitrous oxide (N20).

- C02 is released to the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels, wood

and wood products, and solid waste.

- CH4 is emitted from the decomposition of organic wastes in landfills,

the raising of livestock, and the production and transport of coal,

natural gas, and oil.

- N02 is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, as well as

during combustion of solid waste and fossil fuels. In 1977, the US

emitted about one-fifth of total global GHGs.

Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2000, US EPA, Office of Atmospheric

Programs, April 2002 EPA 236-R-02-003.

Health Effects of Open Dumping of Waste

� The health risks associated with illegal dumping are

significant for ragpickers and residents living nearby

� Areas used for illegal dumping may be easily accessible to

people, especially children, who are vulnerable to the

physical (protruding nails or sharp edges) and chemical

(harmful fluids or dust) hazards posed by wastes.(harmful fluids or dust) hazards posed by wastes.

� Rodents, insects, and other vermin attracted to open

dumpsites may also pose health risks

� Dumpsites with scrap tires provide an ideal breeding

ground for mosquitoes, which can multiply 100 times faster

than normal in the warm stagnant water standing in scrap

tire casings

Health Effects….� Severe illnesses, including encephalitis and dengue fever,

have been attributed to disease-carrying mosquitoes

originating from scrap tire piles.

� In addition, countless neighborhoods have evacuated and

property damage has been significant because of

dumpsites that caught fire, either by spontaneous dumpsites that caught fire, either by spontaneous

combustion or, more commonly, by arson. Illegal dumping

can impact proper drainage of runoff, making areas more

susceptible to flooding when wastes block ravines, creeks,

culverts, and drainage basins.

� In rural areas, open burning at dumpsites containing

chemicals may contaminate wells and surface water used

as sources of drinking water(Source: Illegal Dumping Prevention Guidebook. US EPA. EPA905-97-001

� US EPA study indicates that dioxin emissions from open burning of

garbage in one day by four families could equal the emissions from a

municipal solid waste incinerator burning 200 tons per day (Hileman,

1998)

� Dioxins are known to suppress the immune system, disrupt hormonal

balances and promote carcinogenisis (Seedcorn, 1998)

� Other emissions resulting from open burning and their associated health

Health Effects….

� Other emissions resulting from open burning and their associated health

risks include:

- benzene (leukemia)- toluene diisocyanate (asthma)

- nitrogen dioxides (lung damage) and

- nitrile compounds (metabolic poisons and carcinogens)

� Burning garbage can also produce emissions of formaldehyde,

hydrochloric and sulphuric acid, hydrogen cyanide, polycyclic aromatic

hydrocarbons, cadmium, lead, mercury and chromium

Challenges & Opportunity

• Reducing waste

growth

• Managing toxic and

problem Materials

• Waste Reduction

• Toxicity Reduction

• Recycling Reduction• Increasing recycling

levels

• Maintaining

commitment to

resource recovery

• Recycling Reduction

Conclusions

• Solid Waste Management should be considered

seriously by government/ civic bodies to provide SWM

service properly to the public.

• Public apathy and low social status assigned to SWM

activity by civic bodies is a great hurdle in solving this

problem. problem.

• Stringent laws should be passed in this regard for

proper disposal and treatment of waste.

• No new plan of any residential, commercial area should

be passed until and unless it has proper place for

disposal and treatment of its waste.

Conclusions…

• In India there is a strong case of private sector participation in this

area and private sector can come with its expertise, technology,

capital, improved and efficiently managed service.

• Public participation

is of paramount

importance and can importance and can

provide big results

if seek properly.

• Adopt sustainability

model