Sustainable management of Municipal and Industrial Waste

Rapid urbanization, urban growth and economic development have not only changed the
physical size of the cities but is also exerting significant additional pressure on the
infrastructural services across Indian cities. India is experiencing high urbanization, 31
percent as per Census 2011, contributing to 11 percent of the world population and having 53
metropolitan cities which may jump to 87 in 2031. These factors influence consumption rates
that accelerate waste generation and change waste composition. The increasing trends in per
capita waste generation puts immense pressure on urban local bodies (ULBs) who are
mandated to provide MSW management service in India. It is observed from the recent
research that most ULBs are unable to handle such huge quantities of solid waste due to
financial and institutional debilities. While, daily collection efficiency is around 50-60
percent and 90 percent in few ULBs, only 10 percent of the collected waste receives
treatment and virtually nothing is scientifically disposed in engineered landfills. Indian cities
are facing the problem of limited availability of land for waste disposal especially in large
cities. Furthermore, the ULBs rarely have sufficient funds, resources, infrastructure and
appropriate strategies which have resulted in poor collection, transportation, treatment and
safe disposal of solid waste.

According to the annual report 2020-21 of the Central Pollution Control Board, the
total quantity of Solid waste generated in the country is 160038.9 TPD (Tonnes per day) of
which 152749.5 TPD of waste is collected at a collection efficiency of 95.4%. 79956.3 TPD
(50 %) of waste is treated and 29427.2 (18.4%) TPD is landfilled. 50655.4 TPD which is
31.7 % of the total waste generated remains un-accounted. Whereas, according to the report
of the Task Force on Waste to Energy (WtE), (2014) of the Planning Commission, the 7935
urban centres of India generate 1,70,000 TPD i.e. 62 million tons of MSW annually. It is
observed that there is conflicting data about the actual quantum of waste generation in urban
India because there is no system of periodically collecting data on waste generation. In terms
of per capita, the waste generation varies between 200-300 gms/capita for small towns, 300-
400 gms/capita for medium cities and 400-600 gms/capita for larger cities as per the Planning
Commission report. The increase in waste quantities has been estimated at 5 percent per
annum. It is assumed that urban India will generate 2,76,342 TPD by 2021, 4,50,132 TPD by
2031 and 11,95,000 TPD of MSW by 2050.
 Likewise, with a thrust on Make in India and Aatm Nirbharta, in the foreseeable
future, significant uptick in the manufacturing activity is being visualised with commensurate
increase in the Industrial/Hazardous waste generation. Adequate measures have to be put in
place to address these challenges.

Recognizing these challenges, the Indian government and key stakeholders have been
deliberating upon mechanisms and arrangements to facilitate compliance of ULBs with
requirements for treatment and safe disposal of solid waste. The two ministries of
Government of India namely, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
(MEF&CC) and the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) have initiated several policies
and programmes to improve the current scenario of solid waste management (SWM) system
in India.

Some of the key challenges and possible actions points are enumerated below:

1. Solid Waste collection: It is observed that the collection efficiency of MSW in cities
and towns is low due to non-uniformity in the collection system. It is worthwhile to
note that the segregation of waste at the door step is almost absent although door to
door waste collection is improving in some cities of India. Recognizing the need to
adopt innovative strategies for sustainable solid waste management, many ULBs have
started door to door waste collection, zero waste management, and segregation of
waste at source in their cities. The key to efficient waste management is to ensure
proper segregation of waste at source and to ensure that the waste goes through
different streams of recycling and resource recovery. This needs to be given further
impetus. Much greater emphasis on ULBs working with waste pickers collectives and
NGOs for setting up door to door collection of segregated waste, Material Recovery
Facilities (MRFs) and secondary segregation while providing Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) to them is required.
2. Technologies for treatment of Municipal Solid Waste: At present, there are a
number of processing technologies such as composting, bio-methanation, recycling,
refuse derived fuel (RDF), gasification, incineration, pyrolysis, engineered landfills
etc., available for the treatment of municipal solid waste. However, each of the
technologies may have positive as well negative implications. The selection of
suitable technologies depends on the population of a city and quantity of waste. It is
important to note that the biggest constraints lie in separating, collecting and
 transporting this component to the location where decentralized or centralized large
scale composting or biogas generation plus composting can be carried out. Research
documents show that over 50% of waste collected is biodegradable organic material
which can be used for compositing or used for generating biogas. This wet waste must
be processed either through bio- methanation or composting technology for
generating biogas, electricity and compost for use as nutrient and prevent such wastes
from reaching the landfill. Reusable and recyclable waste that constitute 18-20
percent of the total waste are not separated because the process of separating them
from mixed waste is highly energy and time intensive and is generally not carried out.
Adequate measures can be taken for the purpose. Greater emphasis on recycling is
required. ULBs especially smaller ones can easily form cooperatives etc. with waste
collectors initiatives and collectives for recycling rather than tie-ups with large
companies for setting up incineration plants. Recycling technologies for making
structural from plastics or converting waste plastics and non-recyclables to Light
Diesel Oil should be delineated and their standards prescribed. This is feasible in
smaller ULBs also. Waste to energy Plants based on incineration are still being tested.
For smaller ULBs, the cost of incineration plus pollution control is prohibitive.
3. Disposal of MSW: Waste dumps or open burning continue to be the principal method
of waste disposal in India. These methods are continuous sources of harmful gases
and highly toxic liquid leachate. Most of the cities and towns dispose of their waste by
depositing it in low-lying areas outside the city without taking precautions. As per the
estimates made by the Planning Commission (2014), more than 80 percent waste
collected is disposed indiscriminately at dump yards in an unhygienic manner by the
municipal authorities leading to health and environmental degradation. Limited
availability of land for waste disposal is a major cause of the MSW mess especially in
big cities. The position paper on the SWM in India of the Ministry of Finance, 2009
estimates a requirement of more than 1400 sq.km. of land for the solid waste disposal
by the end of 2047 if MSW is not properly handled. Finding new landfill sites is a
major constraint including the 'not in my backyard' (NIMBY) phenomenon. People
want a good facility for MSW but not in the vicinity of their households. The NIMBY
attitude of the people has made the task difficult for the ULBs with respect to waste
storage. Sanitary and household Biomedical waste management should have a
separate section. Sanitary waste collection from doorstep every two days in red colour
bags and transporting sanitary and biomedical waste generated in homes and non-
 medical institutions to Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facilities (CBWTFs)
should be made mandatory.
4. Ensuring adequate financial support and incentives to ULBs for efficient management
of the MSW.
5. The concept of common waste treatment facility is being widely promoted and
accepted as it uses waste as a resource by either using it as a co-fuel or co-raw
material in manufacturing processes. This has led to rise of Public Private Partnership
(PPP) models in waste management which has open doors for doing business in waste
management.
6. Bio-medical waste (management and handling) rules, 1998 prescribe that there should
be a Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility (CBWTF) at every 150 kms in
the country. CBWTFs have been set up and are functioning in cities and towns.
However, establishment of functional CBWTF throughout the country must be
ensured.
7. Integrated common hazardous waste management facilities combine secured landfill
facility, solidification/stabilisation and incineration to treat hazardous wastes
generated by various industrial units. They contribute about 97.8 per cent of total
landfill waste and 88 per cent of total incinerable hazardous waste generated in the
country, as per an environment ministry report.
8. Recovery of e-waste is abysmally low, we need to encourage recycling of e-waste on
a very large scale level so that problem of e-waste disposal is contained.