Solid waste management
Assessment Item 2 (4000 words) – Due end of Week 13
Select one of the options from below for your assignment.
Option 1
For the selected Region/Country/State/City in Assessment Item 1, prepare a municipal solid waste management strategy to overcome the current problems and issues and future challenges. The following key areas could be addressed in the strategy:
A) Establishing a strategic planning framework
• Understanding the existing strategic planning framework
• Defining the strategic vision
• Defining the boundaries or scope of the plan
• Defining key issues
• Setting objectives and targets
B) Identify and evaluate options for
• Institutional Framework
• Waste Collection and Recycling
• Waste Treatment and Disposal
• Financial Sustainability
• Public Awareness and Participation
C) Develop action plan
• Detailed evaluation of options
• Finalising the strategic plan
• Preparing the immediate action plan
ASSIGNMENT 1
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA
STUDENT NAME: SIDDARTHA THANIPARTHI
STUDENT NUMBER: S2866601
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
MSWM IN INDIA
MSWM IN HYDERABAD
SOLID WASTE GENERATION IN HYDERABAD
PHYSICAL COMPOSITION OF SOLID WASTE
EXISTING MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN HYDERABAD
ORGANIZATION OF SOLID WASTE COLLECTION
INSTITUTIONAL ASPECTS OF MCH
FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF MCH
PREDICTION OF FUTURE WASTE QUANTITIES
PREDICTION OF FUTURE WASTE IN HYDERABAD
MAJOR PROBLEMS AND ISSUES
CONCLUSION
REFERENCES
ASSIGNMENT 1
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN HYDERABAD, INDIA.
INTRODUCTION
Environmental pollution has received a significant attention for the past years. Control measurements have been proposed for water and air pollution and a comprehensive volume of legislation has been passed for pollution control and prevention. The pollution of land surfaces, which has been called as third pollution consists essentially of disposal that is termed as solid waste. This third pollution has been neglected for many years until mid-sixties with the passage of solid waste disposal act (1965) to control and prevent increase of land pollution. Solid waste has increased gradually over the following years with the rise of global pollution and strong coupling between economic development and consumption. With growing concern regarding depose of solid waste, urban governments, private sectors and organized communities have devised new schemes in waste management. Due to development of multiple waste streams in solid waste, to successfully implement a proper waste management system has been a major problem in many countries around the world.
Problems due to waste exist where there a human inhabitant (UNEP 2004). When governments took the responsibility of solid waste management, they bothered only about waste generated from household and commercial activities. As newer waste streams for example electrical and electronic waste (e-waste), hazardous waste, health-care and plastic waste, construction and demolition waste etc. having surfaced posed bigger challenges on waste management. Adding to this inadequate infrastructure and services, lack of comprehensive waste management related policies and legislation, constraints on financial resources and technical knowhow compound to the problem especially in developing and poor economic countries, unless the capacities at regional/local level are enhanced and sustained. Municipal solid waste is a term usually applied to collection of solid waste by local authorities in urban areas. It is defined as waste materials traditionally managed by municipalities, whether by burning, burying, recycling or composting (US EPA, 2008). This assessment report provides a brief description about current municipal solid waste management (MSWM) system, their related problems and issues. This description is based on a local municipal organization governing solid waste management in a recent developed city Hyderabad in India. It especially focuses on solid waste generation, existing waste management system, and further their regarding problems and issues.
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT (MSWM)
MSWM IN INDIA
Solid waste management is one of the most challenging issues in urban cities; this report provides an assessment of municipal solid waste management in Hyderabad. India is an agriculturally based country with a present population of approximately 1020 million in urban cities (Union Heath Ministry, 2004). There are 28 states and seven union territories in the country, due to industrial growth and rapid increase in population as a result the number of metropolitan cities have increased according to 2001 census report. This growth has seen growing public concern for increase in sanitation and environment (WB-Hanrahan, D 2006). Municipal corporation/Urban local bodies (ULBs) traditionally provide solid waste management services in India as they oversee the issue related with public health and sanitation. In most cities to an extent, servicesprovided by municipal corporation are measured are substandard as the systems applied are unscientific, out-dated, inefficient and do not cover the entire population. The apathy of municipal authorities who do not consider MSWM as a priority is another reason why the waste is found littered all over creating insanitary conditions. MSWM is one of the major environmental problems of Indian megacities. It involves associated with generation, storage, collection, transfer and transport, processing and disposal of solid wastes. But in most cities the MSWM system comprises only four activities i.e. waste generation, collection, transportation, and disposal, due to lack of proper infrastructure, maintenance and upgrade for all other activities. This however becomes increasingly more expensive and complex with continuous and unplanned growth of urban areas. The changing urban consumption patterns with respect to economic growth and improved incomes, the local production of goods and services has increased the per capita generation of waste, adding pressures on already stretched MSWM systems across cities in India (MoEF-GOI 2009, Sharholy et al 2007). The below figures show the population size and growth for according to census 2001.
Table 1 Indian census, 2001.
Area of
Country
Population (million)
Percentage of total population
Persons
Males
Females
Total
Rural
Urban
1027
531
496
100
742
381
361
72
285
150
135
28
Table 2. Increase in urban population in India.
Urban
Population (%)
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2005
2015
2030
17.3
18.0
19.8
23.1
25.5
27.7
28.7
32.2
41.4
The total Indian urban population amounts to 285 million. There are 4,378 cities and towns in India. According to 2001 census, 423 are considered class 1, exceeding a population of 100,000. The class 1 cities alone contribute to more than 72% of total MSW generated in urban areas. They include 7 mega cities which have a population of more than 4 million. The population growth rate in India is high as the above table shows that continuous increase past 50 years. At present a valve of 32.2% increase is predicted, the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organization (CPHEEO) estimated a per capita waste generation in Indian cities and towns on a range of 0.2 to 0.6 kilograms per day. This alone explains the growth of waste generation is outpacing the urban population growth.
MSWM IN HYDERABAD
Hyderabad is one of the fastest growing mega cities with high increase in population and urban solid waste. Solid waste management in Hyderabad is operated by Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH). The total area covered by MCH is 1790km2 and is divided into 11 planning zones. The climate is fairly equitable with a varying mean temperature from min of 11.6°C to max of 40.56ºC. It obtained the title as Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in April 2007, notified by the state government of Andhra Pradesh. In 1960 it started with a budget of 15 million to 10 billion at present. The total population of in the city is estimated to be 4 million. In 1993 the municipal corporation of Hyderabad has introduced a new programme called ‘Voluntary Garbage Disposal Scheme’. By 1999 it operated over 1000 residential colonies covering 175,000 households to promote people’s participation in solid waste management. The gradual involvement of private sector in sweeping and waste collection since 1995 led to further improvement of the city’s performance in SWM. Like most other Indian Municipal Corporations, the Health Section and the Transportation Section have the overall responsibilities for these activities. MCH has a total of 12,590 permanent employees of whom 7,150 are attached to Health Section. And 5,700 employees are involved in sanitation work (MCH, 1998a).
SOLID WASTE GENERATION IN HYDERABAD
The quantity of solid waste generated in MCH is estimated at 1500 ton/day in 1999 and the average generation rate per capita is around 0.35kg. The generation of waste varies from 0.24kg/day among the lower income groups to 0.75kg/day among the higher income groups. Municipal authorities have the overall responsible SWM and the need to collect useful information regarding generation of waste. They ascertain the physical and chemical composition of various categories of waste, such as that generated from households, shops and establishments, hotels and restaurants, vegetables and fruit markets, meat and fish markets, hospitals and nursing homes etc. It is important for precondition of infrastructure planning, to determine the scope of retrieval of recyclable material and construction debris and define appropriate technology for treating waste. The generation of waste is divided into two groups in bulk generators both in public and private, and small generators such as households. A report presented by MCH consists of 34 markets, commercial centres and recreation places, 923 hotels and restaurants, 93 function halls, 417 hospitals and nursing homes, 5 slaughterhouses and 30,000 cattle, in addition to one million households. It explains that though the waste generated individually are in small quantities, together they contribute about 75% of total waste in the city. The below table provides further details individually.
Table 3. Waste generation report conducted by MCH(1997)
Source
Units
Estimated volumes
Tons per day Abs
Estimated volumes
Tons per day percent
Households
1.0 million
1050
75
Hotels and restaurants
923
80
5.7
Function halls
93
?
?
Markets
20
60
4.3
Hospitals and nursing homes
417
60
4.3
Slaughter houses
5
20
1.4
Recreation and community centres
35
80
5.7
Dairies etc.
30,000 (cattle)
50
3.6
All sources
1,400
100
PHYSICAL COMPOSITION OF SOLID WASTE
The physical characteristics of wastes are categorized into bio-medical, biodegradable, recyclable and inert wastes, whereas, the chemical attributes are into pH, total moisture, fixed carbon, volatile matter and the calorific value. Transfer stations save on labour and operating costs and also reduce the number of vehicular trips to and from disposal sites. Management of solid waste are one of the most essential services which fail due to rapid urbanization and changes in waste quantity and composition. Quantity and composition of solid waste vary from place to place i.e. residential, commercial, gardens, industrial, agriculture and rural, demolition and construction, etc. With regard to the above sources municipal solid waste is a function of lifestyle and living standards based on that particular region. Report conducted by MCH on waste characteristics show high decomposable substance about 55% are frequent while collection and disposal of solid waste. It further suggests that characteristics of waste quantity have been changing with respect to time, and it is seen decline in organic (compostable) fraction and increase in inorganic material. Based on the report by MCH in 1997 the below table include the physical characteristics of urban solid waste generated by households.
Table 4. Physical composition of urban solid waste in Hyderabad (1997).
No.
Characteristics
Percentage
1
Biomass
55.0
2
Paper
7.0
3
Rubber/leather
2.0
4
Plastics
2.6
5
Rags
8.0
6
Metals
0.2
7
Glass
0.2
8
Sand/fine earth
13.0
9
Stones etc.
12.0
Table 5.Composition of recycling enterprises in Hyderabad
Unit no.
Waste recycled
Location of the enterprise (local zones)
Years of set up of the unit
Age of the unit (in years)
Capital size (fixed capital in Rs)
1
Waste paper
Patan cheru
1985
15 years
2,000,000
2
Iron scrap
Jeedimetla
1980
20 years
30,000,000
3
Plastic waste
Jeedimetla
1995
5 years
700,000
4
Waste paper
Medchal
1992
8 years
2,500,000
5
Plastic, waste paper
Patan cheru
1991
9 years
950,000
6
Iron scrap
Nacharam
1972
28 years
4,000,000
7
Plastic waste pipes
Jeedimetla
1999
1 year
1,000,000
8
Plastic waste
Kattedan
1994
6 years
1,500,000
9
Plastic waste
Jeedimetla
1997
3 years
1,000,000
10
Waste paper
Gandamguda
1997
3 years
600,000
Fig 1. Physical characteristics of municipal solid waste in Hyderabad
EXISTING MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN HYDERABAD
In India SWM is the primary responsibility and duty of the municipal authorities. State legislation and the local acts that govern municipal authorities include special provisions for collection, transport, and disposal of waste. This responsibility is mainly assigned to the chief executive of the municipal authority. Most state legislations fail to cover technical and organizational details of SWM as they fail to clarify the entire process being done. After a detailed investigation by an expert committee in all aspects of SWM in India, submitted a report to the supreme court of India in 1999. It included recommendation needed to improve that present situation. Hence a Legal framework of SWM (management and handling) rules 2000 was issued to all state governments, and municipal authorities to take necessary action. It forced to ensure management of SWM is seen according to best practice.
Organization of Solid Waste Collection
Collection of Solid Waste
Solid waste is generated in households and institutions. Among the households a further is made between various income groups i.e. high, medium and low. And Institutions a can further be subdivided in government institutions and private institutions. All these generated waste is stored near primary locations. From this point the volume unknown is separated by servant maids, tricyclists (according to VGDS scheme), office boys and shop keepers, in which some of the organic material is sent to cattle farms, and remaining fraction is transported to composting units in MCH and private trucks. The unsegregated and mixed municipal solid waste from the primary collection points is dumped at dustbins and secondary storage points. From here the waste is carried to secondary collection points. The MCH has provided 4,900 concrete cylinder waste bins, 420 metal waste bins and 105 garbage houses covering all houses. At these intermediary points separation process takes place both by official waste workers and informal waste pickers. This is done so as to obtain any amount of valve generated by collecting recyclables.
Transportation
The MCH trucks transports about 200 tons of residual waste per day, they transfer the waste to transfer stations and from these to dump sites. Some quantity is collected by dumpsite waste pickers and sold to retail and wholesale traders. The MCH currently has 183 vehicles available for transportation of waste. The average capacity of lifting is 9 tons per day and the entire fleet can remove 1700 tons per day. The MCH system is divided into two circuits, smaller trucks transport waste from secondary collection points to transfer station, from here larger trucks bring it to its ultimate destination.
Disposal
In Hyderabad the most common method of disposing is open dumping, within the city there are there official dumpsites provided cover a total area of 87 acres. There are also unofficial dumpsites located within the city. However under current unit system where the payment of private service providers depends on registration of trips, the number of these sites has reduced.
Public Private Sector also has a major role in the current solid waste management scheme in Hyderabad. The main reason for MCH to transfer part of its solid waste collection tasks to private sector due difficulty to increase its current workforce despite the city’s continued expansion. It helped create night shifts for sweeping roads by private labourers. A unique feature of solid waste collection system in Hyderabad is the involvement of the community under a tricycle scheme. Community appointed waste pickers to take care for the house-to-house collection in almost 1,200 colonies, with each colony comprising 100-200 households.
Fig 2. Collection System, MCH
Fig 3. Solid Waste management System, MCH.
INSTITUTIONAL ASPECTS OF MCH
Since 1993 Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad has introduced many schemes and policies to ensure better practice of SWM is provided within the region. It includes the performance of collection, transportation, and disposal of solid waste. This analysis briefly starts with the organizational structural of MCH. The MCH functions under the control of an elected commissioner who supervises the various departments charged to implement municipality’s statutory responsibilities. The Task of SW collection is discharged by the Health Department headed by chief medical officer of health. The sanitary wing takes care of street cleaning and collection of waste, while the transport wing sees the transportation and disposal of waste. And the engineering department maintains transport vehicles.
Table 6. Management chart for the sanitary wing of Health Department
Commissioner MCH
Chief Medical Officer of Health (1)
Medical Officer Of Health (1) and
Assistant Medical Officer of Health (7)
Sanitary Supervisors (52)
Sanitary Jawans (350)
Sweepers and Vehicle operating Staff (4800)
Fig 4. Institutional Framework for MSWM in India (PPP MSWM).
FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF MCH
Solid waste management is an important activity concern by MCH, therefore the budget expenditure of SWM is responsible by MCH. According to a report in year 2005-06 MCH has allocated856.486 million for SWM, 735.486 million on revenue expenditure and 131 million on capital expenditure. It explains that 10.9% of budget expenditure is provided for SWM activities.The main economic impact is increase in revenue from the recovered compost and recyclables. Therevenues are collected in the following forms from selected two planning zones i.e. BHEL and Subram-Greenlands under MCH:Payment of a small monthly fee by households (Rs 10 at Subram and Rs 21 at BHEL) forgarbage collection. Average revenue is Rs 15,000 per month at the Subram-Greenlands(subsidized, as initial infrastructure facilities were provided by MCH) and Rs 90,000 atBHEL (higher as the infrastructure was provided by Sukuki Exnora and not subsidized). Sale of recyclables for example plastics, glass, cardboard, and paper, the average revenue fromrecyclables is Rs 15,000 at Subram-Greenlands and Rs 18,000 at Subram-BHEL.Manure. About 50 tons of animal manure is generated at Subram-Greenlands and about 80 tons at Subram-BHEL. The manure is used to hasten composting.
The following figures provide detail information about Budget Expenditure spent by MCH on SWM and other related activities.
Fig 5. Highest Department Expenditure by MCH year 2005-06 (in Rs. Lakh).
Fig 6. Revenue Expenditure by MCH year 2005-06 (in Lakhs)
PREDICTION OF FUTURE WASTE QUANTITIES
Successful long term planning depends on the characteristics of the solid waste and estimation of future quantities. The composition of solid waste near future depends on the decision related to treatment choices and disposal options. Many researchers have reported for innovative and forward-looking solutions on the issue of fore-casting future waste quantities. An accurate prediction can be challenging with regard to the generation trends facing many fast-growing regions. Traditional forecasting methods for solid waste generation frequently count on the demographic and socioeconomic factors on a per-capita basis and statistical forecasting models, such as the geometry average method, saturation curve method, least-squares regression method, and the curve extension method, are designed based on the configuration of semi-empirical mathematical models. The following show some of the future challenges for the management of solid waste and the figure below provide a graph on compositional changes in India.
Due to growth in population, changing lifestyles and consumption patterns, not only the quantity of waste generated is further increasing but quality and composition of waste is also changing especially with hazardous and toxic waste generated by industrialization.
The negative impacts of waste on local environment e.g. air, water, land, human health etc. are becoming more severe. The effect of the impact is not just local level but crossing boundaries thus spreading the pollution.
Due to increase in quantity of waste generated, cost of waste management also increases more on account of hazardous substances which require complex and sophisticated waste management techniques.
The policy framework on national and local level does not cover required practices necessary for all waste types. The framework to support resource recovery from waste is still inadequate in India.
Lack of political priority on waste management.
Fig 7.Compositional changes in India.
Future prediction of waste in Hyderabad
Based on the past trends, solid waste generation trends in Hyderabad are predicted till the year 2021 and shown in figure 8. As per the prediction it is estimated that the per capita solid waste generation trend in MCH is likely to increase from 698.7 to 803 gm/cap/day by the year 2021. This means a total of 3142 to 4177 tons/day.
Fig 8 Projected Waste Generation.
MAJOR PROBLEMS AND ISSUES
Economic development, urbanization and improved living standards in cities contribute to increase in quantity and complexity of waste generated, hence solid waste management in India remains a major challenge for any society. Due to development of multiple waste streams in solid waste, to successfully implement a proper waste management system has been a major problem in Indian cities due lack of technological knowhow and infrastructure.The apathy of municipal authorities who do not consider MSWM as a priority is another reason why the waste is found littered all over creating insanitary conditions.
Rag pickers play an important role and yet are unrecognised in municipal waste management. Their working conditions on open dumps in Hyderabad cause an issue with their socio-economic and occupational health hazards. There is no source segregation of waste in MCH area. This increases the numbers of rag pickers and also the quantity of waste to be transported. If the waste is segregated at source and composting units were set up than lot of burden and cost can be reduced. The households too need to take the responsibility of segregating the waste at the source and assisting the MCH by ensuring recycling of organic waste through vermin-composting. That would reduce the costs of transportation of the wastes and would also reduce the land required for dumping of the solid wastes. The salary given to the labour by the contractor is not what the MCH mentions in the contract. This means, that there is some corruption involved here, and the labour are made to sign salary receipts, while they are getting lesser amounts than what they have signed for thus creating an issue. MCH having trouble with the contract of implementing integrated solid waste management in Hyderabad with a private sector company RamkyEnviro Engineers Ltd. ISWM project was proposed by the municipal corporation in 2008 for disposal of garbage in a scientific manner. The project consists of storage and primary collection of garbage including street sweeping, transportation, capping and reclamation, compost facility and sanitary landfill and common facilities at Jawaharnagar and other dump yards.
CONCLUSION
Based on the above brief assessment on Municipal Solid Waste Management in Hyderabad the following facts can be developed.
Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad follows a traditional approach with management of solid waste throughout the city. Due to unprecedented population growth and gradual increase in solid waste they require a more sustainable and integrated development with the existing SWM system.
Though with the implementation of legal framework policy rules 2000, there are still major issues such as lack of adequate technology and infrastructure provided, unscientific methods used in collection and disposal of solid waste, improper segregation of multiple waste streams causing damage to environment and health hazards.
The income generated with solid waste management is insufficient to provide new facilities within the city, furthermore with dependent on public private contract may lead to future concern with contractual agreements.The institutional sector is well organized in distributing activities with the existing management system, but lack in implementing best practices in accordance with the legal framework policy causing lack-litter of solid waste further degrading the city’s environmental conditions.
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