Solid Waste Management in Assam

                       

What is solid waste?

 

From ancient time, waste has remained an inseparable part of the human society. The rapid population growth, growing urbanization and proliferation of slums are all contributing to the generation of an ever increasing volume of garbage. The increasing pile of garbage has created health hazard and environmental problem.

Types of solid waste:

Solid waste can be classified into different types depending on their source:

Household waste is generally classified as municipal waste,

Industrial waste as hazardous waste, and

Biomedical waste or hospital waste as infectious waste.

Problem of Solid Waste and its Management

Pressure of population on cites of Assam has become an area of concern not only for local civic authorities and State Government, but for Central Government as well. Accumulation of waste and its disposal is a major worry for authorities in Assam. The only way to tackle this situation is through a concerted and dedicated effort involving government departments, environment protection bodies, NGOs, and local residents.

Let us take the example of Guwahati, the capital city of Assam. City of Guwahati with more than 820,000 inhabitants generates more than 300 metric tonnes of MSW (municipal solid waste) per year. GMC (Guwahati Municipal Corporation) in an effort to collect, transport, and dispose this MSW from Guwahati city and its periphery is in the process of appointing a suitable developer or operator for establishing an environmentally sustainable and viable waste management system.

With a view to improve solid waste management, GMC has got an approval for a grant amount of approximately Rs 3,517 lakhs under JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission) scheme. This is a National scheme promoted by Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India. For effectuating this project, IDCAL (Infrastructure Development Corporation of Assam Limited) has been appointed project management consultant by GMC. IDCAL incidentally is a joint venture between GMDA (Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority) and IL&FS, a leading company engaged in infrastructure development in India.

Existing solid waste management in Guwahati is not large unorganized. Indiscriminate dumping of wastes, clogging of sewerages, and silting of Bharalu River are major worries of GMC. Bharalu operates as the biggest sewage canal of this city and carries waste to River Brahmaputra. Silting of this river leads to major drainage problem for the entire city particularly during the rainy season. Low lying areas, near Bhangagarh and Rajgarh get flooded after heavy showers.

Guwahati Municipality is making every effort to improve waste management system of this city. Appointment of IDCAL by GMC is a positive step towards more efficient MSW management for the city of Guwahati. The process involved in Municipal solid waste management: MSW management involves collection, transportation, storage, processing and disposal of solid wastes for Guwahati city. An estimated 350 tonnes of solid waste would be processed per day as per this project. Waste collection includes street sweeping, cleaning of sewerages, and door-to-door collection of solid wastes. This waste is accumulated in secondary collection units and subsequently transported to project sites.

Measures to control Solid Waste

Home is the nearest place from where solid waste management can be initiated. Garden is the perfect place for waste management. Using of compost, choosing the correct mower for lawn are positive steps towards better management of household wasters.

Hazardous waste, however, is to be treated with caution. They should be disposed in specially marked containers and kept aside away from the reach of kids and pets. They should only be disposed by hazardous material removal agencies.

Office is another place where one can employ waste management techniques. Recycling of office paper, beverage containers, and newspapers are such processes.

For conservation of resources, it is always advisable to use two sided printed materials, recycled printer cartridges, and recycled products. While buying electronic items, it is desirable to enter into a leasing plan where terms of recycling and reuse are mentioned categorically. Unused food items and leftovers are ideally donated to food banks or the homeless.

1.     Setting up a community program is an encouraging step towards creating a more concerned and knowledgeable neighborhood. Such action groups are actually very helpful is making a community aware of the benefits of proper MSW management techniques.

2.    All family should arrange two dustbins labeled as degradable and non-degradable. The degradable wastes can be assimilated at home by putting them under soil. It also will provide organic fertilizer in future. The non- degradable wastes should be allowed the authority to send for recycling.

3.    Householders should refrain from throwing garbage as per their convenience. There should be a specific time for throwing garbage out. If possible, local civic authorities should ensure collection of garbage from every house at this specified time.

Conclusion    

Of all these waste management techniques, if only a small part could be implemented in the cities of Assam, the Assam would become a much better place to stay. The greatest advantage of Assam is its marvelous landscape consisting of River Brahmaputra and several hills. A focussed effort towards solid waste management and protection of environment from all sections of the local populace could make Assam greener and fresher state. Keeping roads garbage free is a positive step towards making this city tidier and healthier.