Essay on solid waste management
Answers
Addition of numerous kinds of solid wastes in the soil is called landscape pollution or third pollution. In India, urban waste is growing at a phenomenal rate, hi Delhi alone, the current 4,000 tonnes of urban waste produced daily is expected to increase to 30,000 to 40,000 tonnes by 2020 A.D. During the mid-70s, daily per capita waste generation was 150-350 grams for most Indian cities, which increased to 350-530 grams in late 1980s.
Solid waste management involves collection, transportation and disposal of wastes. It requires mechanical, operational and management skills, all of which are not available in India. A recent study showed that the Ahmedabad city spends about 85% of its budget on solid waste management on collection, 13 to 14% on transportation and only one per cent on its disposal.
Almost 60 per cent of a typical sample of household garbage of a city contains organic and biodegradable matter while it contains 35% recyclable matter and 5% of miscellaneous matter.
Growing heaps of stinking garbage in Indian cities are a sufficient pointer that urban solid waste management in the country is an utter failure. It is mainly due to absence of low-cost waste disposal technology.