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The lecture introduces the concept of Municipal Solid Waste Management, emphasizing the definition and significance of solid waste in urban areas. It discusses the various types of waste, the challenges in managing them, and the potential for recycling and composting. The lecture also highlights historical perspectives on waste management and the impact of improper waste disposal on public health and the environment.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
30 views19 pages

lec1

The lecture introduces the concept of Municipal Solid Waste Management, emphasizing the definition and significance of solid waste in urban areas. It discusses the various types of waste, the challenges in managing them, and the potential for recycling and composting. The lecture also highlights historical perspectives on waste management and the impact of improper waste disposal on public health and the environment.

Uploaded by

sayoos108
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
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Municipal Solid Waste Management

Prof. Ajay Kalamdhad


Department of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati

Lecture - 01
Introduction to Solid Waste

Welcome students! For the first lecture i.e., Module 1, Evolution of Solid Waste
Management, one needs to first understand what is meant by solid waste. When we
say waste, it is very important to understand the treatment issue or any kind of
disposal issue of that waste.

Also, it is important to understand, how waste is an important issue for the residential
areas or municipal areas or ULBs areas. Let’s first talk about the definition of solid
waste, because the problem lies in the meaning itself and is very difficult to
understand.

Also, understand that the waste could be converted to compost. It is very difficult to
understand, when you say any material is a waste, how you can get benefited from
that waste. The name itself is very difficult to understand giving the proper
information. Let’s start with what do you mean by Solid Waste Management. This is
our first lecture on Introduction to Solid Waste.
(Refer Slide Time: 01:55)
So this is the proper explanation or definition of solid waste management. So this
solid waste comprises all the waste arising from the human, animal activities that
typically useless and unwanted. So this is the proper explanation of solid waste. See
any material could be useless or unwanted, which could be a waste material.

But when you say that is useless or unwanted for my purpose could be useful or could
be helpful or could be produced some kind of wealth from that same material could be
for another person. So this is the proper explanation of the waste. But when you say
the waste again is very difficult to say that it is unwanted for me but the same waste is
getting wealth for other some other persons or other beneficial purposes.

So the proper wording, so here this is the word called refuse. This is the proper
wording of the solid waste, the refuse. Because this refuse can be useless or unwanted
for somebody, but the same can be used as in some of the wealthy material can be
produced either as energy or as compost or whatever could be or any kind of recycled
matter. That could be possible.

So it is a normally we call as a refused management. So when you see in the US and


European countries, mostly they would not talk about Solid Waste Management. They
will talk about refuse management. That is why they in their country they are
allowing to use the proper recycling matter to produce wealthy products like energy,
like compost, or biogas production. Because in India we talked about is a waste.

Very difficult to accept this waste could convert as a very good recycling matter or
could get some wealthy material out of that. So other words I think might you know
about a few different wordings about Solid Waste Management like garbage; garbage,
rubbish, scrap, and debris. This normally the garbage we call as in kitchen waste or
wet waste. That is normally called garbage.

In India, we talked about garbage management. So this is not the proper wording
about this garbage management is specially targeted to the wet waste or kitchen waste
and rubbish. I think rubbish also rubbish is another management issue, where rubbish
management but this rubbish is mostly targeted to the waste ash content into the waste
material.
Mostly this kind of rubbish material is producing from the slum area or poor areas
where still the cooking is under the simple cooking materials the wood or other
materials are that is producing a lot of ash. The scrap this another word scrap that is
mostly the scrap is a recyclable matter mostly is metal is included in that. And debris.
Debris is mostly where the large size materials are including construction or
demolition waste into that.

So this is a proper definition of solid waste. So do not get confused about wherever I
think you will study that is solid waste management or garbage management, rubbish
management, or scrap management or refuse management. So almost is similar. Just
based on the different sources or based on the different characteristics of the name we
can give it to the waste.

But normally, we call solid waste management for all kinds of different characteristics
of the waste material.
(Refer Slide Time: 05:55)

So now the very important one, the while producing the different materials or
especially for the manufacturing of any material, how this is related to the waste
generation that we can find. We will see with the one flowchart like suppose some
raw material will take for any manufacturing of new products. The manufacturing will
go maybe is a primary manufacturing, secondary manufacturing and we will get some
kind of product that will go to the consumer.
And from consumers again, suppose we plan for recycling facility or recycling of the
same material, it will again go for processing and recovery and go to the
manufacturing process. But entire this material flow you will see the lot of waste
production. So under the raw material, you see a lot of waste production, while in
manufacturing, a lot of waste material will get produced.

So it is clearly explained that and again once the consumer will use that particular
material again after the entire utilization of the material it will go for the disposal site.
So it became a waste. So the entire flow chart is showing that if any raw material is
getting manufactured and to the manufacturer to the consumers also is related to the
waste generation.
(Refer Slide Time: 07:30)

So similarly one example this we can understand by one example, by if you take the
coffee beans and these coffee beans normally when you prepare the coffee that
powder it will go to the roaster. And finally, after getting a roaster that goes to the
consumer. But sometimes the roaster beans also become a coffee powder and will go
to the consumer. This is the entire use of the coffee beans to become a coffee powder
or direct roaster to the consumers.
(Refer Slide Time: 08:04)
But now again from the roaster, there are a lot of coffee chaffs is getting produced as
waste material. These waste material also can be utilized, can be these waste chaffs
mixed with the plastic to produce headlight covers used in the car parts, is again
getting utilized. So there would not be any waste material production. But again, this
material is getting disposed of.

Because once you prepare the coffee that coffee powder also becomes waste material.
And whatever the remained material while in the roaster that also will go to the
disposal area. That ultimately entire coffee beans whatever after utilization, became
the waste material finally. So it is related that for any manufacturing or for any
whatever products we are using for our daily activities, so these all products including
the waste generation, okay.

So is very easily understandable now waste generation is very important because


whatever materials your daily activity you are using the same material will get finally
getting disposed of as a waste material after the entire utilization of that particular
material.
(Refer Slide Time: 09:43)
So we will see how solid waste is related to the consequences of life. You will see that
this is proper disposal of causes the plague is you know the Surat plague is very well
known in 1983, where a lot of people have died because of the plague issue. So that
shows if you are not able to dispose of the proper solid waste, how is your life is
getting affected.

You see, landfilling, the way we are disposing of solid waste becomes a very
important issue for water pollution. So because of that, not only the surface water but
also the groundwater is getting polluted because of improper disposal sites. And in
India, mostly the waste is getting collected. Even under the Swachh Bharat Mission,
the major target was to clean the city.

And from 2014 onward most of our city is getting cleaned and where the number of
cities is awarded also because of cleaning. But I think we never talked about once any
city is getting cleaned means entire waste is getting collected, but how best they can
be disposed of? And the way the waste is getting disposed of in the low lying area in
most of the cities are these kinds of issues. You have a water pollution issue.

Similarly, if you are under especially the cities like the city is very close to any water
storage area or somewhere near to the wetland areas are very difficult to have the
proper disposal system. See somewhere here also the greenhouse gases because once
the entire mixed waste is getting disposed of one location there is not only the
leachate is getting produced while degradation of biological waste.
Also, greenhouse gases will get produced. These greenhouse gases including carbon
dioxide, methane, these gases will get produced and this is polluted the local area.
(Refer Slide Time: 12:15)

See some of the photographs are here. You saw the one photograph like the way
where disposing the plastic into the sea. How these marine species are getting affected
by this plastic disposal into the sea. See, this is the one photograph you can see.
Because the plastic is not getting degraded and is getting floated onto the water and
somewhere is getting stored in a very large quantity.

And also because of technology, urbanization. Now see the before 20 years or 15 to
20 years, India never talked about the packaging material. Now because of this online
purchase, had increased a lot of waste production, that especially packaging waste.
See, I still remember in our older days, when you go somewhere into the shop, we
never used to get a lot of packaging material.

Most of the material is getting packed into the newspaper and easily we used to
collect with the bags. But now I think the way our product is getting sold off, that is
based on the package, and because of this online production, a large amount of paper,
the large amount of plastic is getting included in the waste management. That is one
of the important issues.
Now see earlier India always used to talk about vegetable waste, or biological waste is
producing more. But now if you see the entire waste compositions, we are getting a
large amount of paper and plastic that is not degradable but is more recyclable metals
are coming up. another very important one, this waste is heterogeneous in nature,
highly heterogeneous.

Now see you understand this heterogeneity as if you just compare with the water
treatment or wastewater treatment. So water is a homogeneous material. You take the
water from whether India or European countries or American country water quality is
the same, except maybe some pollutants will get changed. So your treatment also will
be almost the same were these all treatment facilities.

Your sewage also characterization will be the same. So your sewage treatment plant
also will be a similar kind of sewage treatment plant will design. But for solid waste,
now it is an entire heterogeneous mass. Even every day also your entire composition
will change. So like you see your daily activity on Monday and daily activity on
Sunday, both are different.

So activities are changing, your waste generation also will change. Waste generation
not only the quantity will change, but also your characteristics will change. Someday
you will produce a large amount of biological matter, someday you will produce a
large amount of recycled matter. So it is very difficult to how one kind of proper
technique or any treatment facility.

And also these characteristics are changing with the area to area and season to season.
That is another very important issue. Like when you take the in India, we have three
different seasons. So obviously, even your food habits also are changed with the
season. Like in the summer you would not get a lot of vegetables, but in winter we
will get a lot of vegetables.

So obviously your vegetable waste will be more into the winter season and your dry
waste will be more on to the summer season. And again you see the monsoon. Again
we have three months monsoon. So the technology should be such a way that it will is
very difficult to find a simple one technology where the dry waste wet waste different
compositions can be treated at one location in a different season.

That is one of the very important issues in Solid Waste Management. But now the
way our commercial or urbanization is increasing your waste generation is also
changing. And whatever technology will propose that maybe after 15 years, 20 years
that technology would not be beneficial. And the way our waste generation is
increasing, especially from the last 5 years to 7 years is very difficult to believe that
the way our waste generation is increasing.
(Refer Slide Time: 17:24)

You see that I have some of the data about the cloudburst in the Mumbai 2005. And
mostly we see that in Mumbai most of the sewage network especially in the monsoon
season is getting clogged off and every year in Mumbai we will see the flood issue.
And why the flood issue is not because they do not have proper sewer networks. But
because this plastic the way we are getting disposed of that plastic is adding into the
sewer networks.

And these became these plastic is getting clogged into the sewer network and is the
Mumbai always is getting the flooded in every year. Like I got surprised when you
say that Chennai had a flood in 2015. So was very difficult to believe that. Chennai
could have the flooding. And I believe that this flooding is because of because most
the sewer networks or wherever the water is going out from the city that has been
clogged by the solid waste as the city becomes flooded completely.
And we normally in the urban centers also we never thought about the how benefits of
the wetland and the proper space. Space is very costly in India now, the land is very
costly in India. The people would not think much about the benefits or the wetlands
where water is getting stored off. So there are a few more like the fire. One more the
fire in the landfill area.

I think might you remember about the fire was found, I think that extended for the
more than 15 to 20 days where Mumbai landfill got fired off. These firing people
were talked about this firing is because of methane production from the dumping area.
But also along with that not only this fire is because of methane production, but also if
you see that in the dumpsite, the lighter material that paper and plastic will be always
on to the top.

And always because of the entire dumpsite under the anaerobic condition. So
obviously some kind of methane will get produced and this methane maybe that
quantity is not very large but can get fired off. Or purposefully also many Corporation
is firing the landfill to show that the entire dustbin does not have the paper and plastic
waste into the waste material.
(Refer Slide Time: 20:17)

Now you see that some of the past literature in old India, since Vedic time also we
used to talk about this waste management. So I have some information about the one
very important document like systematic treatment of Hindu law Manusmiriti that
says that it prohibited the throwing of garbage, dust, rubbish, piece of meat on the
highway, or in the water body and made it punishable.

See that was written hundreds of years before this thought was being proposed. This
waste should not be disposed into the water body, should not be thrown onto the
highway. And if anyone will found to get disposed of need to be punished. Another
document like Kautilya’s Atharveda also talked about the sanitation of habitats, which
made it very essential. And also another document called Ayurveda talks about the
wholesomeness of the water and pure air.
(Refer Slide Time: 21:38)

But now in the management of MSW, we will see the management in the new India,
management of solid waste in new India. So I was talking about the Surat plague was
the first event where we thought about or we came to know that the importance of
solid waste management where a lot of people have died because of this Surat plague.
Maybe hundreds of people have died because of that.

Surat known to be a textile city and the waste used to be produced by these textile
industries are mostly a biological matter. And that never used to get disposed of out of
the city, used to be disposed of very close to the industrial area. And these industries
because of that lot of rats had been attracted to such waste because that was a very
biological waste. And because of that, India thought about proposing a special rule.
That was Municipal Solid Waste Management Handling Rule 1987. So first time in
1987, the Government of India gave one of the important thought to the local bodies
or Corporation area or urban local bodies, apart from water supply sewage collection,
also they need to collect the solid waste. But was very difficult for the ULBs to
understand that. They never thought of it sometimes, because the water supply is very
easy.

You construct the pipelines and you supply the water and or you find one particular
source whether is surface water, whether is groundwater, find one particular source,
construct the supply lines and flow the water, was very easy. But now when this task
has come up to the ULBs to collect the waste they never thought of, because your
sources were thousands, lakhs of sources.

Each house was producing a good amount of waste. They never thought of when they
got very surprised that whether now they have to go to each house and get collect the
waste. So how best they can do it? So under this rule, what Corporation did they
installed several dustbins into the city and asked the local people to get dispose of the
waste into the dustbin area.

That was a simple collection system most of the ULBs have started. Had been asked
the local people to dispose of the waste into those particular areas and what the
Corporation used to do? They used to collect waste from those dustbins area. But was
very difficult because finding a location into some low lying area outskirt of the city
was transportation cost very difficult.

So most of the city was unable to extend the, extend this solid waste management or
solid waste collection facility. Forget about the treatment in those days. Then one PIL
has been submitted by Dr. Almitra Patel normally we called a garbage lady of India.
She submitted one PIL in Honorable Supreme Court saying that ULBs or Corporation
was not able to do the proper solid waste collection and treatment and was not able to
dispose of the proper landfill area.

Then in 2000, in 99, Honorable Supreme Court made one special committee under the
Supreme Court and they revised the Solid Waste Management Rule in 2000. And
there I think the first time the solid waste management was related to public health so
that people will be easily understandable, how important is the solid waste
management issue.

But still, I think again the issue was with the always because when you say the
collection issue in solid waste management is a very costly process. Because I think in
the initially also when we installed the different dustbin, so the collection cost was
very high, very large to get collected 200, 300 number of dustbins located into the
city. So the collection was a very costly process.

And once you collect also and come up to the disposal site was very difficult to have
one proper treatment facility. So we do not have the proper fund, fund for the
collection. Because earlier we never thought about there could be some kind of
collection fee from the producers, from the household area. Then one other scheme
has been proposed. I think we know that is one of the very important schemes
JnNURM 2006.

Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The target was this mission to
help financial help to the ULBs by 2006, In the scheme one there were 35 cities was
been selected for financing for the for not only for Solid Waste Management but
especially for the communication purposes. So many cities got a water treatment
facility, many cities got proper transportation facility.

Might you have seen the big buses under this JnNRUM scheme? And also some cities
got a lot of funds for solid waste collection and disposal. And under this scheme only
the first time we thought of the PPP projects; public, private, partnership project.
Because in Solid Waste Management because the collection was a very difficult, very
costly process. So Corporation was not having enough funds.

So the private authority had been asked to the private authorities to come forward to
help the corporations under the PPP program and to fund the current collection and
treatment facility. And why the private company was very positive about this scheme
because they thought of because the waste this was not the simple waste. After all,
they thought of there will be a 50 to 60% of biological waste into that.
So they will be able to produce a large amount of compost from that. And remaining
that 20, 30% was the recyclable matter. And mostly the, when you talk about dry
matters, was a recyclable matter. Like if you take the example of paper, plastic,
rubber, leather, metal, glass, everything is recyclable matter and very costly matters.

But I think when the private company has come forward, they thought of they will get
a lot of benefits from that but was very difficult because the way our collection
system is a was a mixed waste collection. There was no segregation and when the
private company tried to collect the waste, so same the collection system gets it and
disposed of one location was very difficult to get segregated.

So they never found the proper compost production. Never found the proper
recyclable matter which can be easily recyclable or which can be sold off at a very
good cost. So then I would not say that this scheme has been failed off, but I think
many cities got a lot of infrastructure facilities at least infrastructure facilities. Many
cities got compost plant under the JnNRUM program.

Then in 2014, the Swachh Bharat Mission has been proposed or announced. So what
was the major important point of the Swachh Bharat Mission was the waste
segregation. And that was a very good initiative in Solid Waste Management. Because
from our we saw that our history of waste collection in India that mixed waste
collection was never found beneficial.

Because we are not able to produce proper compost quality, proper recyclable matter.
So the under Swachh Bharat Mission the segregation was an important issue. So for
every household has to be segregated into the three parts of dry waste, wet waste, and
the third part was household hazardous waste. That was the third part and based on
the segregation, you finalize the collection system and followed by the treatment
facility.

So that was a very simple thought was being proposed under the Swachh Bharat
Mission because once you can segregate at the household level or source itself so that
biological waste will go to the biological treatment facility. That could be a
composting facility or biogas generation facility. And these dry waste because it was a
this was not contaminated one. And mostly materials were recyclable.

So like paper, plastic, rubber, leather, metal, glass, this all goes to the recycling
facility. Only 10 to 20% will have remained for the disposal area. But I think you saw
that number of cities has been started the work on the proper waste collection and we
saw that in Madhya Pradesh, Indore, Bhopal became one of the cleanest cities in India
for the last two to three years.

And also in 2016, the rules have been modified. That is the Solid Waste Management
Rule 2016. And now this rule also suggested that segregation and also proposed the
first time under the rule, what kind of compost quality has to be produced. What kind
of recyclable matter has to be produced. And when you go for the site a landfill, what
kind of leachate are getting produced off?

And what kind of treatment facility has to be provided for that leachate treatment has
been proposed into the Solid Waste Management Rule 2016, okay. So we see this
Solid Waste Management Rule 2016. So under the first lecture now I think I believe
that you people have understood what is Solid Waste Management and how important
is Solid Waste Management to study.

So in the next lecture, I think we will talk about the functional elements. From on that
functional element, we will go one by one functional element to the next lectures. So
if you have some kind of questions, you can ask me or some kind of queries you can
ask me. “Professor - student conversation starts” Sir when did this hazardous waste
got included in Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules? “Professor - student
conversation ends”.

Yeah. So now actually this course is especially for the Municipal Solid Waste
Management. Apart from Municipal Solid Waste Management, there are several
different wastes. And in India, there are several rules for that. Hazardous waste also is
another very different course. That normally in our municipal area we propose (34:23)
waste management.
Although we talked about one source is a household hazardous waste, but that is not
that kind of hazardous normally we included in hazardous waste. So this Hazardous
Waste Management Rule also has been modified in 2016. The major sources of
Hazardous Waste Management, hazardous waste, those are the hospitals and most of
the industries are hazardous waste.

So normally, you ULBs would not manage the Hazardous Waste Management. ULB
would not do. That is based on the company wise, based on the industry-wise, they
have to manage their produced waste into industry-wise. So that is a separate course
Hazardous Waste Management. So similarly with Hazardous Waste Management, we
have a rule on Plastic Waste Management.

We have rules on E-Waste Management. India was the first country in 2011 we had a
first rule E-Waste Management Rule in 2011, which got again modified in 2016.
Similarly, we have Battery Disposal Rule. That is also modified and even that these
rules I am talking about the country wise. But there are some states, they have also
their own rule.

So these are the different rules that are available with us. “Professor - student
conversation starts” Okay in 2005 in Mumbai, there is a flood that has happened.
That is not the main problem. That means it is created with solid waste. So the
problem is maybe from the awareness of the society. So what can we do in these
areas? Yeah. Regarding the authorities, their responsible bodies in the country-wise,
what can we do? Yeah, can you suggest? “Professor - student conversation ends”.

Yeah, so I, as I talked about that the flooding in Mumbai was very surprising because
the way we are disposing of the waste is not only the disposal at the dumpsite but the
way we have located the dustbin, those dustbins became a dumpsite. And a large
amount of waste is getting accumulated into the dustbin area. And when in especially
in India when the rain started, that get continued for four days, five days for a week.

And because of that, this plastic because they are very light material that became
added into the that became soluble in the water and get flowed with the water and
enter into the drain. So what was the problem? Because see, until before Swachh
Bharat Mission was very difficult to understand by the local people. They never
thought of and see in India people were talking about one problem like people were
talking about about one problem like NIMBY. We call as a syndrome that name is
Not In My (37:28) Backyard.

The people never worried about that when I am disposing the waste anywhere, this is
not my problem and under Swachh Bharat Mission also that has been proposed that
awareness is very important issue now. People have to understand whenever you go
for any purchase or whatever activity you are organizing your house has to understand
what kind of waste is getting generated and you need proper collection facility for the
waste.

That is why I talked about that when you need to help the collection facility not only
waste collection facility but also waste treatment facility in nearby areas. So a lot of
awareness because and was very difficult in India when the household had been asked
to segregate the waste, was highly opposed. When this even in 2006 when the
JnNRUM scheme has been proposed off during the scheme itself, the household
collection has been proposed.

But people were not ready to give the waste. That was very difficult. And forget about
the segregated waste, but is good that under Swachh Bharat Mission most of the city
started the segregated waste collection but again when you are segregating at the
household level, you need to have proper segregated collection facility and segregated
treatment facility.

That is also one very important issue. So there is a lot of awareness, but under Swachh
Bharat Mission lot of our Bollywood actors also came in came front and they in lots
of media also covered the Solid Waste Management. So people are getting aware of
now. But again, the Corporation has to organize a lot of awareness programs,
especially in schools, colleges.

So obviously, I think this course becomes very important now. And now this is a very
important time to understand Solid Waste Management. Otherwise, after 20 years,
when the waste generation will increase in large quantity will be very difficult to
manage.

“Professor - student conversation starts” Hello, sir. Sir, there is one question.
When we talk about a smart city and a clean city, so in terms of Solid Waste
Management, what are the basic characteristics or parameters that we can say which
can differentiate a smart city from a clean city? “Professor - student conversation
ends”. That is also a very important one.

The clean city and smart city see when you say the clean city that mostly we talked
about the waste-related issue. And a waste-related issue waste is getting collected. But
when you talk about smart cities, waste is also including in that. But you need to have
a proper communication facility, proper transportation facility, that became the smart
city. But now I think need not say the clean city.

There is no importance to a clean city now. You will be a very clean city but if you do
not have a proper communication facility, proper transportation facility, there would
not be any benefit from such cities. So you need to have, you need to become a smart
person or smart city which will have the proper communication, transportation
facility, but also need to have a clean city.

So when you say the clean city or the smart city, you need to have a proper collection
facility. Is not only the collection facility but also needs to have a proper treatment
facility. So not only you just collect it, collect the waste, and get it disposed into the
one location. That is what most cities are doing nowadays in India. The waste, the city
is getting cleaned, but getting disposed into some low lying area.

And who are the problem people!..? The people residing in nearby those areas are
unaware that their water is getting polluted. A lot of air pollution issues are creating
problems in those residential areas. So I think and I believe that you become smart or
many cities become (41:56) smart only and only when they have proper water supply
scheme, proper sewage collection scheme, and proper Solid Waste Management.
Solid Waste Management is collection followed by the treatment and proper remained
waste, which is not recyclable and not treatable. That will go to a proper landfill
facility. We need to have a proper landfill for that remained waste, which is not useful
for any other purpose.

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