Management of Solid Waste in Delhi

    

Management of Solid Waste in Delhi

Plato lamented the destruction of soils and forests in ancient Greek. Dickens and Engels wrote eloquently of wretched condition spawned by Industrial Revolution. But the surge in concern about environmental quality over the last three decades has been uniquely widespread and impassioned.

Delhi is a continuing story of the persisting patterns of the past amidst epochal changes. The river Yamuna has been the spectator of the rise and fall of Delhi for more than seven times. And each times it has rose like a phoenix. During last 2000 years, the region has grown fifty times. The growing population, urbanization and industrialization have put a great stress on the carrying capacity of Delhi. The solid waste management has been one of the most critical problems in Delhi as it affects the overall quality of environment health in the city.

Solid waste management is an unavoidable by-product of human activities in the capital. Economic development urbanization, migration from rural areas and improving living standards in cities has led to increase in the quality and complexity of generated waste. Management of solid municipal waste resulting out of rapid urbanization has become a serious concern of government department, pollution control agencies, regulatory bodies and also the public capital of Delhi. Rapid population and industrialization degrades the environment and places serious stress on natural resources, which undermines equitable and sustainable development. Inefficient management, utilization and disposal of this waste lead to the spreads of communicable disease, cause obnoxious development and spoil the biosphere as a whole.  Cleanliness is a major factor that influences development, which is otherwise hampered due to improper disposal of solid waste. When the solid waste is not collected and disposed of efficiently and effectively it attracts flies, which then spread disease. It also pollutes and degrades land and water resources. If this waste were left untreated they would ferment slowly and would produce biogas, which would be dispersed in the atmosphere. Therefore, it is apparent that these are two major problems due to poor solid waste management. One is the loss/ under utilization of resourceful material and the other is social cost due to ill health impacts on rag pickers, community living in dumps sites surroundings and the general public health suffering from improper or no collection of waste from streets resulting in nuisance and spread of diseases. Thus, the development of suitable mechanism for utilization of waters is essential to minimize adverse health and environment consequences. This is not possible without involving stake holders which includes the citizen, the civic authorities, NGOs and people from all strata of societies. The involvement of women and children would be very crucial for a sustainable solid waste management programmes.

The capital with a population of approximately 15 million is one of the biggest metropolises of the world. Delhi comprises of the 1074 unauthorized colonies, 567 regulated colonies, 542 approved colonies 191 rural villages, 135 urban villages, 45 resettlement colonies about 1080 J.J.Clusters and a number of DDA colonies. The main sources of solid waste generation can be spelled out as market for agriculture products, retail and commercial market, hospital and nursing homes, industries, slaughterhouses, street sweeping, institutional areas. These sources a variety of solid waste, which posing there at to the environment as well as the health of society. The disposal of this solid waste in a grave matter of concern because day by day the quantity is getting increase and the carrying capacity of the land fills sites is decreasing. The collected waste is disposed at the sanitary landfill sites, the three landfills currently in operation include, Gazipur, Okhla and Bhalswa. All there sites have nearly reached their full capacity. None of the three sites falls in the category of sanitary landfill sites in terms of bottom lining and leachate collection treatment.

The most common problems associated with management of solid waste are lack of institutional capability with technical expertise, financial resources and legal provisions and role designation. The other problem can be traced out as ever increasing demand for land required for solid waste disposal; unsanitary disposal of high moisture content wastes in open dumps leading to surface and ground water contamination by runoff from dumpsite; poor monitoring of the existing non- engineered landfill leading to seepage of leachate causing ground water and surface water pollutions, uncontrolled release of landfill gases from dump/ non- engineered landfills contributing to global warming phenomenon, open dumping of biomedical wastes that could epidemics and other hazardous wastes (oil, used batteries, discarded paints, spent chemicals) and carcinogens like aspects causing significant adverse impacts on the environment and human health, Air pollution by dioxins, particulars and hydrocarbon emission from facial incineration plants or by open burning due to incomplete in combustion of commingled waste and its plastic derivatives, occupational hazards to solid waste workers, scavengers and waste pickers; and Aesthetic nuisances due to odor, noise, dust and appearance especially by littering of the disposables and infection by scavenging animals and pests on uncollected or at the dumpsites.

The condition of the capital is even more precarious and needs immediate attention. With the population rising at an alarming rate, the amount of waste generated has been increasing constantly. There is a growing lag between increased waste generation and its management and treatment capacities. Unabated generation of treated and untreated waste from different sources is responsible for excessive deterioration of environment. This comes as a heavy burden to the civic authorities who in their present state can not meet the challenge of management of solid waste.

A significant challenge faced by town planners and scientist in Delhi is the search for appropriate solutions to the collection, treatment and disposal or reuse of solid waste. All too often “solutions” that are proposed for providing modern wastes treatment for developing countries are neither practical nor affordable. The management of solid waste should be in such a way that it also take care of the Asian Games in 2010, because its going to pressurize the overall structure of Delhi and NCR. So, the concept of “Sustainable Development” is also applied here, which cares the environment and society as well. The condition is hence alarming and needs urgent attention. The government, citizen and NGOs, have to stand up with arm to reduce the intensity of the problem and to make Delhi the heart of India better and cleaner place to live in.