tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87444806699730570192024-03-21T08:14:15.239-07:00MSW and Home CompostingFoundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-18342197332846548812017-02-09T22:30:00.001-08:002017-02-09T22:32:22.763-08:00The Waste to Energy Plant at Okhla (Delhi) facing challenges<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The WtE plant in Okhla (Delhi) is treating around 2000 MT/d of MSW in Delhi, but it does not get any tipping fee for doing this service to the city. Instead, it is supposed to sustain operations merely from the revenue coming from the sale of electricity. Given the fact that technically the plant energy utilisation can not be more than 22% - there is no scope for cogeneration(!); and the energy tariff that it gets has come down way below the original estimates, the plant bottom line is in deep red. No wonder there is little incentive to be on the cutting edge as regards emission control and that's perhaps the reason that it has come on the radar of the judiciary. While the NGT has allowed the plant to operate for the foreseeable period, it has slapped a fine of Rs. 25 Lakh for noncompliance as regards air pollution. See the link below:<br />
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http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/NGT-slaps-Rs.-25-lakh-fine-on-Okhla-energy-plant/article17156183.ece <br />
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The operator will have plenty of incentive to comply with emission norms if it has a healthy bottom line. And a healthy bottom line will happen only if it gets paid for the services that is being rendered to the city, the municipal body and to the people. The great service is disappearance of around 2000 MT of garbage and conversion into as little as about 200 MT of ash on a daily basis. The municipality gets plenty of benefit as it does not have to struggle to find space for landfill (or let's say, the load on its open dump sites is reduced); and the people of the city benefit as the rotting waste and the breeding of disease vectors are avoided. However, there appears to be no premium being placed on these intangibles and the operator is expected to sustain simply on the revenue coming from sale of electricity.<br />
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If there is non compliance on air emissions, then there is major concern on its health effects which are far more severe (due to dioxins and furans, among others) compared to disposal on a dump site. Either way the public suffers. But its only a transparent tipping fee mechanism that can help all stakeholders. </div>
Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-24578258094089083422016-11-07T23:31:00.000-08:002016-11-07T23:31:59.762-08:00WHAT CAN THE DELHI GOVERNMENT DO TO CURB AIR POLLUTION IN THE CITY? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Yesterday morning I was pleasantly
surprised to get an e-mail through the Change.org from the Govt. of NCT of
Delhi requesting to share suggestions on the biggest challenge on hand –
deteriorating Air Qaulity. Come to think of it, we have reached a stage of
development where mere ‘bijlee, sadak and pani’ are no longer the issues, now
we are facing the threat to our fundamental right to breath clean air ! The
following submissions have been made for their consideration and I thought it
would make a good reading for the members of this group. I hope you find this
interesting and would like to share your feedback! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">There are multiple aspects to the
current problem of air pollution in Delhi. I will focus only on the issue of
solid waste - MSW, construction debris and fly ash. First of all let us
recognise that the mountains of garbage on the outskirts of the city at
Gazipur, Bhalaswa and Okhla are not the 'LANDFILLS' s as wrongly termed by
municipal officials, journalists and politicians alike. They are OPEN DUMP
SITES and they represent one of the major sources of air pollution - waste is
spontaneously burning all the time due to the methane that is getting generated
underneath as a result of the rotting organic waste. They are also equivalent
of 'biological bombs' as trillions and trillions of bacteria and viruses breed
there and spread out with wind in adjoining and distant residential areas. As
regards these disposal sites, Delhi Govt. has to recognise that it cannot
continue with 'business as usual'; instead it has to develop 'SANITARY LANDFILL
SITES' (SLF) to ensure safe disposal of waste. An SLF constitutes an essential
infrastructure for any modern and healthy city as it offers a safe repository
for disposal of all offensive, rotting, objectionable and pathogenic waste. An
SLF is most robust, reliable, dependable, affordable, elastic and forgiving
facility which works in all weather conditions, 365 days. One of the reasons
for the sorry state of waste management in the city and the country as a whole
is that there is not a single SLF worth its name.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Secondly, the GoNCTD has to recognise
that MSW is NOT a 'misplaced resource', instead it is a public health liability
and its safe disposal has to be paid for. In this respect it has to recognise
the fallacy of the paradigms of 'segregation of waste', 'waste to wealth',
'waste to energy' and 'garbage to gold', etc. Any putrefying, rotting,
offensive and objectionable matter that has come to the 'end of life' stage
cannot be a 'resource', instead it is a major threat to public health as is
becoming evident in the recent months with the outbreak of viral diseases of epidemic
proportions, followed by bird flu and now incidence of serious air pollution.
The problem of municipal solid waste in NCT Delhi is huge - we have about
10,000 MT of it generated every day, and therefore simplistic solutions will
not solve the problem. After some point, 'resource recovery' through
composting, etc. is impractical and not financially viable. As a matter of
fact, when poorly implemented, such facilities themselves become threat to the
environment, public health and the socio-economic setting of surrounding areas
- take the case Okhla Compost Plant which causes severe odour nuisance in
Ishwar Nagar, New Friends Colony, Holy Family Hospital, Apollo Hospital, Shahin
Bag and Sarita Vihar localities. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Thirdly, since composting is not
viable and there isn't land for setting up a decent sanitary landfill site for
'dignified burial', it has to be recognised that commingled MSW in such a large
quantity then only deserves 'dignified cremation' in the form of 'mass burn'/
'incineration' supported by state-of-the-art pollution control facility. In
this respect, it has to be recognised that the main objective(s) of an
incineration plant (and for that matter any other technology based waste
treatment plant) are to (a) reduce the nuisance value of the waste and thereby
safeguard environment, (b) eliminate chances of breeding of disease vectors and
thereby safeguard public health, and (c) reduce the volume of waste for safe
and economical disposal into an SLF. Further, it has to be recognised that
during the process of incineration any net positive 'energy' that gets
generated is incidental - its only a bonus, and not the main output of plant.
The main outputs of an incineration plant are the intangibles as listed above
and therefore, it should not be perceived as a 'waste to energy plant', as made
out to be by technology providers. Therefore it has to be recognised that if
the operation and maintenance of a 'waste to energy' plant are to be sustained
over long-term, then the local government has to place a premium on the
intangibles and pay for all the waste that gets incinerated there. Otherwise
the operator has no incentive in running the pollution control system or in
ensuring its long-term operational sustainability. Currently the municipal
bodies are not offering any incentives in the form of tipping/gate fee to the
operators of the three incinerator plants and as a result there are concerns as
regards the measures taken for emission control as well as for upkeep of the
plant to meet future challenges over its life cycle. In this context, if GoNCTD
intends to safely get rid of its huge quantity of MSW in the coming decades
then it must consider creating additional capacity for waste incineration using
state-of-the-art technology and offer genuine and appropriate financial
incentives to the operators. It could set up new plant(s) under DBO (Design,
build and Operate) or BOT (Build Operate and Transfer) formats of Public
Private Partnership, but it must recognise its financial responsibility in
return for the intangibles delivered by such plants. To this effect it must
mobilise resources through user charges in return for offering an improved
quality of life to its residents.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The flyash ponds next to the
Indrapasth and Badarpur Power Plants are the other major scars on the urban
landscape. In summer months they contribute a great deal of dust (PM10 and PM
2.5) into the environment. We cannot go on neglecting them. Genuine and
effective solutions (e.g., maintaining water layer or providing vegetative
cover) need to be developed for them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Lastly, GoNCTD has to recognise the
challenge of horticulture waste. In terms of green canopy/ tree cover and
lawns, while Delhi claims to be the greenest city in the country, this tag also
comes with the challenge of handling a large quantity of brush/ horticulture waste
(dry leaves, fallen trees and branches, grass cuttings, etc.). This is not a
waste, but a resources given in 'segregated form' by the mother nature.
Unfortunately it is seen that instead of collecting and stocking this
'resource' separately, municipal workers typically set it on fire in
residential, commercial and institutional areas alike. While there is
tremendous misplaced emphasis laid in the revised MSW Rules, 2016 on
'segregation' of putrefying food waste from residences and establishments for
'resource recovery', it is ironic that the municipal bodies do not give
importance to this 'segregated resource' which is literally found on the roads
and which can be easily converted into value added products such as leaf-mold
and mulch which help improve soil productivity conserve soil moisture. It is
ironic indeed because this 'segregated resource from the mother nature' gets
disposed of into the same open dump sites at Bhalaswa, et.al. where it
contributes to the might of the fire that has been always burning. If GoNCTD is
serious about waste management and control of air pollution, then it must
initiate on priority a set of measures to prevent burning of brush and its
treatment as an independent stream.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">I hope you find the above submissions
of interest and use. Should you desire, I will be happy to present a
comprehensive analysis on the challenges of treatment and safe disposal of MSW
and how the city can meet its objectives. This is coming out of countrywide
experience of dysfunctional treatment plants and overseas functional plants and
working in the domain for last 30 years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Re: Action at the individual level<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Given the size of the city; the diversity of its people - their
backgrounds, perceptions, concerns and level of commitment towards the
environment; and the chaos that prevails year round, there is not much one can
do at individual level and expect to bring about any tangible improvement
in the short- to medium-terms. Nevertheless, I would like to recommend
promotion of the practice of Home Composting as an Individual Environmental
Responsibility (IER). Under this paradigm, all food waste from a household is
composted at home and thus there is potential to arrest a large quantity of
putrefying organic waste at the place of generation. I am practicing this as a
gardening and Earth Friendly Green Hobby for last 15 years; and enabled over
600 families embrace the same under a small pilot supported by the GoNCTD
during 2007-08 (for more details please visit our website</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> <a href="http://www.green-ensys.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">www.green-ensys.org</span></a>). Among others, t</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">here is a need to scale up this initiative all across the capital city,
if we genuinely and sincerely want to solve the problem of MSW in an integrated
and effective manner. </span></div>
Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-74067117820715114442016-10-05T22:40:00.002-07:002016-10-06T23:11:39.928-07:00How can we do the 3Rs when we are moving in the wrong direction?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The MSW Rules 2016 and the GoI policy consider 'Reduce' (Reducing consumption - one among the 3Rs) as one of the main pillars of solid waste management strategy ! However, other sections of the same establishment want 'growth'/ 'development' and 'urbanisation' at a rapid pace. When we are aspiring for sustained double digit GDP growth through internal consumption, then how this 'Reduce' thing will happen? As per the following article in The Guardian, across the globe solid wa<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">ste quantities are projected to double from 3 million tons/day to over 6 million tons/day and most of this is going to take place in East and South Asia. When we are going to lead the race in waste generation in the world (never mind losing the races in the Olympics) (!), then like an ostrich why are our policy makers burying their heads in the sand? We are assuming that 'Reduce, Reuse and Recycle' will solve bulk of our problem (!), not recognising the global industry trend of producing cheaper products and promoting the culture of use and throw , rather than robust products which can be repaired and used for a long time. Cheap mobiles, computers and electronics are ready examples of this trend </span>(see another paper by David McRobert and Meghan Robinson)<span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></div>
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<img alt="Image result for burying head in sand" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTjTJukVhxNe9CwwjW22GVzAklVrD7WbM80tfYMeBSr2MqJuGGt5Q" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our folks do not want to set up sanitary landfills (SLF) and neither do they want to pay appropriate tipping fees to the treatment plant operators who are willing to help in reducing the quantity of waste that is required to be safely disposed of in SLFs. We are fascinated and infatuated with these fancy terms viz., 'waste to wealth' and 'garbage to gold', without recognising that it all comes at a good price.</span><br />
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If we do not pay a legitimate price, then the public is anyway paying a hefty price to the doctors, hospitals, blood testing labs and the pharmacies on account of outbreak of viral epidemics - dengue, chikungunya, malaria (including rabies in Kerala) .......Looks like now prayers to the God only will help, because we are a country with great spiritual heritage!</div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2016/oct/05/sustainable-development-goals-most-difficult-targets </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">https://www.academia.edu/28292088/Is_the_Circular_Economy_Fact_or_Fiction_Solid_Waste_and_Recycling_Sept._2016 </span></span></div>
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Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-29717109344320493242016-07-19T00:28:00.000-07:002016-07-21T04:09:02.794-07:00A WIDE RANGE OF CHALLENGES AND INCONSISTENCIES IN THE REVISED MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT RULES, 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 130%;">ABSTRACT</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 130%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p></o:p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 130%;">The recently enacted MSW Rules, 2016 are found
to embrace the same old paradigm of segregation and treatment so as to avoid
landfilling, as was the case with their precursor MSW (Handling and Management)
Rules, 2000. As a matter of fact the new Rules incorporate more complexities in
terms of segregation in multiple streams; decentralised treatment down to each
habitation and institution; virtually prohibiting disposal of organics in
landfills but mandate installation of LFG collection and utilisation system,
and thereby make implementation more difficult. In their zest to promote
decentralised treatment and resource recovery, the Rules also appear to be
fully waste centric and do not take into account norms for town planning,
land-use zoning, urban aesthetics, sensitivities and sensibilities of urban
residents and potential adverse impacts on account of inevitable malfunction of
such facilities. Over the last two decades and more while a large number of
treatment plants have become dysfunctional, the Rules have still shown strong
preference for technology prescription, however no outcomes are defined in
terms of environment and public health; likewise while compost is positioned
as one of the most desired outputs, the associated adverse impacts during
its production on adjoining communities and on food chain upon its application
on edible crops are not being recognised. Interestingly the Rules attempt
to embrace the 'zero waste' paradigm which is an alien concept coming
from highly evolved European society and which is impractical in the Indian
setting. Apparently no lessons have been drawn from the experience of last
16 years and therefore the revised Rules are characterised by a fairly wide
range of inconsistencies. Evidently there is a need for embracing objectivity
and incorporating several amendments on an urgent basis, if environment and
public health are to be protected on priority. Otherwise, one can conveniently
call the new Rules as Municipal Solid Waste (Promotion of Treatment Plants and
Prevention of Sanitary Landfill) Rules, 2016.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">1.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">After sixteen long years of living with some
kind of regulatory system, we now have the revised regulation system called Municipal
Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. It is widely known that the precursor
system entitled ‘Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handing) Rules, 2000’
could not be implemented even by a single urban local body (ULBs) across the
country. The MSW Rules, 2000 attempted to introduce, among others, the paradigm
of source segregation and diversion of organics from landfills by way of
elaborate treatment of waste; they virtually prohibited provision of sanitary
landfill and mandated construction of inherently unviable treatment plants
from the points of view of resource recovery and minimizing use of land for
waste disposal. However, out of around 8000 odd ULBs (urban local bodies)
across the country, one can count on fingers those which have been successful
in complying with only few aspects of the Rules but not in entirety. It is not
surprising, because the MSW Rules, 2000 envisioned a Utopian setting, and as a
result there was significant disconnect with the ground realities in terms of urban
citizens’ concern and commitment towards environment on one hand; and lack of
expertise, capacity and resources on the part of ULBs on the other hand. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">2.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Notwithstanding the dismal experience of last
16 years, the revised MSW Management Rules, 2016 are embracing even higher
degree of complexities which will make them more difficult to implement. Although
the revised Rules have incorporated number of positive aspects e.g., broad
applicability/ coverage over almost all types of urban settlements, delineation
of diverse stakeholders at central and state levels and defining their
responsibilities, recommendation for formation of state level advisory body,
mandating submission of annual reports by ULBs and treatment plant operators,
proposing home composting as an option for waste management, etc.; this paper
brings out a set of complexities which make the task of effectively managing
municipal solid waste and safeguarding public health more challenging; and
therefore argues for modification of the Rules by adopting objectivity and
incorporating experience of last couple of decades. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">THE
CHALLENGE OF SEGREGATION AT SOURCE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">3.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Section
4, clause 1(a) of the revised Rules, 2016</u></b> it has been made mandatory
for every household to segregate waste in multiple streams – viz.,
biodegradable, non-biodegradable, hazardous and now even sanitary waste. However,
given the significant socio-economic diversity in the Indian society, the
significant disparity of education, and the deficit in awareness, concern and
commitment towards environment in particular and public health in general,
segregation of domestic waste uniformly all across a urban settlement into
biodegradable and non-biodegradable streams is an extremely challenging
proposition. In most middle and upper income households it is the domestic
servants who handle waste and they are least concerned because of, among
others, lack of education. Typically one could find over 300 different types of
materials in domestic solid waste and it is simply not possible to educate
domestic workers all across a town, let alone in one household to consistently
segregate into multiple streams. Over the last sixteen years - post MSW Rules,
2000, we do not have even a single community in any of the urban centres across
the country which can claim to have achieved and sustained this practice over
an extended period of time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">4.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">It is to be recognised that Indian society is
already doing a significant level of segregation and recovery in the form of
newspapers, glass and plastic bottles, metal items, etc. Typically every
housewife in middle and lower income households takes out all such items which
have some residual economic value and she is well supported by a vast network
of <i>Kabariwallas</i> (itinerant waste
collectors) across the country. Likewise, unlike US or Europe, Indian
households do not discard their white goods, electronic items, car tyres, etc.
along with their domestic waste. Instead such waste items are again sold to <i>Kabariwallas </i>who in turn dismantle and
extract each and every reusable or recyclable component. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">5.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">In the West from where the concept has come, segregation
is primarily for paper and bottles, (besides of course domestic hazardous
waste), etc. Further, over there the
concept of segregation of bio- and non-biodegradable waste as it is practiced,
it is primarily for bulk waste/generators, e.g., grass cuttings from lawn
mowing operations, dry leaves in fall season, department stores, hotels and
restaurants, etc. and not for post-consumer food waste i.e., meat
(biodegradable) and bones (non-biodegradables) from individual households as is
being attempted by the revised MSW Rules, 2016. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">6.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Therefore over and above the existing segregation
practice of the Indian society, laying further emphasis on source segregation
of biodegradable and non-biodegradable fractions amounts to significant costs
for municipal authorities in terms of publicity for awareness creation and
behaviour change; provision of separate containers and vehicles for collection
and transport; multiple vehicle trips, etc. From logistics point of view this
does not turn out to be a practicable and feasible proposition and therefore
over the last 16 years no community, ULB or service provider has been able to
achieve such a paradigm in the country. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">7.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">As if the challenge of segregation of
biodegradables from non-biodegradables was not enough, under <b><u>Section 4, clause 1(b)</u></b> the
revised MSW Rules, 2016 have ambitiously introduced further complexity by
mandating segregation of ‘sanitary waste’ i.e., sanitary napkins, tampons,
nappies, baby and adult diapers, etc. It appears that the Rules consider
compost (and accordingly, the so called biodegradable fraction of waste outof which compost is made) to be rather sacred and therefore mandate sanitary
waste to be kept separate. It will be far too challenging to keep sanitary
waste separated all through its journey from household to the landfill site. Interestingly the Rules permit mixing of sanitary waste with ‘dry waste’, which is again
intriguing as it will expose the eventual dealers/ handlers/ recyclers of dry
waste to pathogens. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">8.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Evidently the whole paradigm of waste segregation
is simply impractical and Utopian for a highly disorganized society like ours. Where
a large number of urban residents are practicing open defecation; where a
professor of Delhi University carelessly disposes of radioactive waste with
general solid waste; where a large number of small hospitals and nursing homes
dispose of hazardous hospital waste indiscriminately; where a large number of
municipalities burn horticulture waste (dry leaves and branches which the
Mother Nature gives in by and large segregated form) indiscriminately and with impunity; where leaking and poor quality ammunition is not removed and stored
separately (the case of Pulgaon disaster of June 2016 - they intended to either 'recycle' or 'reuse it' !); where people have no
regard for traffic rules and civic sense, expecting families from low and
middle income sections of the society to segregate their waste on a day in and
day out basis is simply Utopian (let alone the high income group where the priorities are different, any way). This is also a
highly impractical proposition as it does not consider challenges of
implementation and monitoring at households level on the part of a typical ULB.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">9.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">In this respect it is to be recognised that the
first inviolable rule in effective solid waste management is collection
efficiency. Before residents are asked to go for source segregation of solid
waste, ULBs must show effectively that they have reliable and efficient
collection programmes, else they stand to lose credibility. Further, it is
virtually impossible to have an efficient collection programme until ULBs have a
well-organised and designated site for delivery of the collected waste.
Worldwide, every successful solid waste management system has a fixed delivery
site – a landfill and a treatment site. On the contrary, on one hand the MSW
Rules, 2016 are not allowing construction of landfill sites but on the other
hand they are mandating waste segregation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Segregation
of waste generated during large events<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">10.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Section
4, Clause 4</u></b> the Rules mandate organizers of large events (> 100
invitees) to take care of segregation of the generated waste. In the case of a
marriage party, it appears that the Rules expect father
of an India bride to be busy in segregation instead of ensuring her smooth <i>Bidai</i> ! Or expect guests to be mindful of what goes where!! This
is an impractical proposition as it expects the society to become waste
centric but does not consider challenges of
implementation and monitoring on the part of ULBs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Storage
of segregated horticulture waste<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">11.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Section
4, Clause 1(d)</u></b>, the Rules mandate storage of horticulture waste at
source. However, in dry form this kind of waste is
prone to catch fire and therefore poses risk to households and community/
estate, unless it is stored in a closed container and/or quickly processed.
Therefore such a provision is not conducive for safety and well-being of
residents of a household with garden and the community. In absence of proper
in-situ storage and treatment, households will resort to putting the waste on
fire which will cause localised air pollution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">SCOPE
OF BURNING THE WASTE INSIDE ONE’S PREMISES<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">12.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Section
4, Clause 2</u></b> while disposal, burning or burying outside premises is
prohibited; but it appears that this leaves scope for burying and burning
within one’s premises. Apparently this is exactly what is happening in Kerala
where the State Government has amended Municipal Act whereby all households/
properties/ establishments are required to retain waste within their premises
and ensure appropriate treatment. As a result, burning of waste in backyards of
homesteads is now a common sight in several towns of Kerala. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">THE
CHALLENGES OF DECENTRALISED TREATMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">13.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Section
4, Clause 6, 7 and 8</u></b>, the Rules mandate all residential colonies, gated
communities, market associations, institutions, hotels and restaurants to
arrange for treatment of biodegradable waste within their premises. This is an
extremely <span style="background: white; color: #222222;">short-sighted</span> proposition
which is assuming the society/ respective players to become waste centric at
the cost of performing their main <i>Dharma</i>
(it is not their job or responsibility and they do
not have time, energy, resources and expertise to do so). This
proposition is fraught with several challenges:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">a.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">This amounts to dereliction of duty on the
part of ULBs as they are the ones who are responsible for lifting/collection,
transport, treatment and safe disposal of waste and thereby safeguard
environment and public health. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">b.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">This
amounts to violation of town planning and land-use policies and norms as
incompatible activity of waste treatment is being recommended in residential,
commercial and institutional areas. As if this is not enough, sewage management
agencies on the same lines are recommending decentralised sewage treatment
while unreliable power supply has anyway compelled people to install
decentralized private generators. This policy and fascination of
decentralisation of essential municipal infrastructure carries the risk of
undermining aesthetics, quality of life, property valuations and public health.
This is so because at the gross level solid waste treatment plants (and
likewise sewage treatment plants) have the inherent characteristics of causing
odour and fly nuisance while spilling of waste brought by all the vehicles
along the approach roads will be a bonus. At micro level such plants are known
to release <b><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">bioaerosol</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">(short for biological aerosol - a
suspension of airborne particles that contain living organisms. These are very
light and small – ranging from less than one micrometre to one hundred
micrometres which are released from, among others, rotting waste piles and
sewage ponds/ tanks under the effect of wind. On account of their fine size,
bioaerosols can easily enter and infect lungs) into the environment which carry
the risk of severely affecting health of residents (lung and skin infection,
asthma, etc.) in surrounding areas. Unfortunately as of now there are no
guidelines or air quality norms in India on bioaerolos as apparently this has
not be recognised to be an issue. </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">c.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Experience of last 16 years shows that
decentralized treatment initiatives come to a naught within a short span of
time because of, among others (a) paucity of resources, expertise, interest and
commitment on the part of residents in colonies or gated communities; and (b) odour
nuisance as a result of inevitable malfunction and consequent demolition/
vandalism by affected parties. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">THERE
IS NO ENERGY, IT IS MAINLY INCINERATION<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">14.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Section
6, Clause 1(b)</u></b> the Rules mandate formulation of a policy on, among
others, ‘waste-to-energy’ (WtE). And under Section 10, the Rules mandate
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to facilitate infrastructure creation and
provision of subsidy for setting up of WtE plants. However, the Rules do not
seem to be drawing lessons from the experience of last 20 years where a number
of treatment plants (cutting across all technologies viz., WtE, RDF, biogas and
composting) have closed down despite having availed considerable subsidies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">15.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">When it comes to WtE, it is not really the
energy which is the main output of an incineration plant. This is especially so
in a warm climate country like ours where the overall energy utilisation
efficiency for any feedstock in a WtE plant is as low as 22-25%; while in a
cold climatic setting due to the benefit of the feasibility of cogeneration (combined
heat and power system), typically the energy utilisation efficiency is in
excess of 65%. Therefore, in a warm climate country the WtE paradigm is only
notional as it essentially corresponds to simple incineration rather than
gainful energy generation on commercially viable terms. As a result,
fundamentally such plants need to be viewed as incinerators where the main
benefits are intangibles – i.e., waste volume reduction to the extent of 90%,
saving of area required for eventual safe disposal, and safeguarding of public
health. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">16.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Secondly, it has to be recognised that there
is no energy in the Indian MSW – it has lots of moisture, wet organics, sand,
dust, stones, construction debris, etc. and the calorific value is seldom more
than 1100 kCal/kg (way below the desirable limit of 1600 kCal/kg for self-sustaining
combustion).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">17.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">As long as the Rules and the policy perceive
WtE plants to be ‘standalone power plants’ and do not place premium on the
intangibles (by way of user charges/ tipping fee/ gate fee), they will continue
to close down due to financial unviability. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">PROVISION
OF FINANCES TO MEET UNREALISTIC TIMELINES<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">18.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Section 6, Clause 1(f)</u></b>, the Rules mandate provision of
project finances to ULBs to meet strict timelines (1-3 years for around 8000
ULBs) for setting up, among others, treatment plants. It is noteworthy that as
in the case of MSW Rules 2000, here also the time lines, are unrealistic and
unfeasible. Mandating compliance with such unrealistic timelines and
accordingly providing finances will again lead to wasteful expenditure as has
been the case in the past and not deriving the desired outcomes in terms of
improved environment and public health. It has to be recognised that there is
not that much of capacity (i.e., consultants, contractors and equipment
suppliers) in the country to develop and implement projects. </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .25in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">NO
AGENCY FOR MONITOIRNG QUALITY OF COMPOST AND ITS IMPACTS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">19.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Section 7 and 8</u></b>, while defining duties of the Department of
Fertiliser (Min. of Chemicals and Fertilisers), and Ministry of Agriculture, the
Rules do not specify which agencies across the country shall be responsible for
ensuring quality of compost derived from municipal solid waste; its suitability
or otherwise for application on food crops; monitoring impact on soil and food
crops; monitoring impact on public health, etc. Compost derived from MSW
invariably contains comparatively high levels of heavy metals, antibiotics,
weed seeds, pathogens and contraries such as glass, etc. Heavy metals in
particular pose the rick of cancer among consumers of crops grown using such
compost and therefore in several advanced economies it is not recommended for
food crop application. The Rules do not make it clear as to which agency will
be responsible for monitoring how compost is being used, how much is getting sold
and for what applications it is being sold, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .25in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">OVERLOOKING
BURNING OF WASTE AT DUMP SITES<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">20.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Section 14</u></b> while defining duties of the Central Pollution
Control Board, apparently the Rules do not take into account serious issue of
rampant and indiscriminate burning of waste on open dumps sites. In this
respect the Rules do not define what action should be taken, by whom and
against whom such actions should be taken? Evidently, the urban local bodies
have a lot to answer as they do not set up properly designed sanitary
landfills, but continue to dispose of waste in open dumps and allow it to burn
on its own (due to release of landfill gas) or to be burnt by rag pickers (due
to unrestricted access). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .25in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">DECENTRLISED
TREATMENT IMPAIRS QUALITY OF LIFE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">21.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Section 11, Clause 1(h),</u></b> the Rules mandate State Urban
Departments and their Town and Country Planning Organisations to make
provisions in land use plans for decentralised treatment. However, as described
earlier this provision carries severe risk of undermining public health and
quality of life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">22.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Section 11, Clause 1(l)</u>,</b> in the zest for implementing
decentralised treatment paradigm the Rules apparently do not recommend (or
rather waive off) buffer zone for smaller treatment units/ plants (with capacity
< 5 MT/day). Evidently every time there will be a malfunction (and there are
too many and too frequent in the case of a typical waste treatment plant), they
will make lives of nearby residents miserable on account of odour, flies, etc.
The accumulated waste (approximately 5 MT/day x 60 days x 0.75 = 225 MT) and
the resultant odour nuisance will invariably lead to adverse psychosomatic
impacts (viz., nausea, headache, loss of appetite), general decline in health
and skin infection, etc. </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">23.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Section 15, Clause (m) and (q),</u></b> the Rules again mandate
local authorities of urban agglomerations and village panchayats of census
towns to set up decentralised or on-site treatment facilities (either
composting or biomethanation) in market areas. These recommendations are
completely impractical as they call for creating infrastructure with inherent
potential for odour nuisance in dense commercial and residential areas.
Secondly, small ULBs have neither the resources nor the expertise to sustain
operations of such facilities, let alone take environmental and social
safeguards. It is therefore not surprising that several such small plants in
the past have malfunctioned and closed down; and eventually they were either
vandalised, demolished or abandoned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">24.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Section 15, Clause (p),</u></b> the Rules prescribe ‘processing’ of
horticulture waste in public parks and gardens again on decentralised basis.
This provision carries the risk of spoiling aesthetics of public parks and runs
contrary to the concept of offering amenities to the general public for
recreation. It appears that the people who have framed these rules are heavily
focused on the objective of getting rid of waste without any regard to public
sensibilities, sensitivities, aesthetics, etc. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">25.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">Lastly, decentralised paradigm
does not allow economy of scale; instead, it requires multiple teams of skilled
operators and maintenance staff which is a costly proposition. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .25in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">PROHIBITION
ON LAND FILLING OF MIXED WASTE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">26.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Section
15 Clause (w) and Schedule-II Section A, Clause (d)</u></b>, only residual
waste/ process rejects is allowed to be disposed of into landfills. Municipal
Solid Waste Management Rules, 2000 had also mandated that mixed MSW shall not be
disposed of in sanitary landfills, and it should perforce be treated. Ideally
the intent is to reduce volume of waste and thereby reduce the land area that
would be required for sanitary landfilling (but unfortunately, the moment a
‘processing’ plant is installed, it is perceived to be standalone profit centre
like an industry). In this context, provision of a ‘treatment’ plant is
understood to be compulsory as interpreted by state and central regulatory
authorities – notwithstanding the technical-commercial unviability or
affordability on the part of ULBs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">27.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">In this respect it is noteworthy that in 2005-06
the Surat Municipal Corporation was not allowed to commission its well designed
and constructed sanitary landfill site for several years because it did not
have a ‘treatment plant’ in place; As a
result the landfill was kept empty while the mixed municipal waste was
disposed of openly on an adjoining plot of land - in the process the landfill
experienced degradation due to climatic
factors; the public did not have the benefit of improved environment and
health; and the investment of over Rs. 4 Crore did not yield desired results.
There are several such cases across the country. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">28.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Further, this clause imposes unrealistic
conditions on service providers/ plant operators/ municipal authorities to
reduce treatment plant rejects and residuals. Drawing from this, typically
municipal authorities stipulate a limit of as low as 20% residuals post
treatment in their contract documents,
which entail significant capital investments for multiple stages of treatment. However,
from technical and scientific point of views it is extremely challenging to
reduce rejects below a certain level (in reality it comes down to only around
50%) <b>without defying the laws of nature
and the law of diminishing returns</b>. On this aspect it is also noteworthy
that some technology providers create confusion by promising zero rejects and
residuals and unjustly attempt to influence bidding process in their favour
(e.g., take the case of Gurgaon-Faridabad waste treatment plant under JNNURM). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">29.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Imposition of significant restrictions on the
nature of the material that can be disposed of into landfills is
counterproductive as that fraction which is not allowed to be disposed of either
piles up in open dumps sites (most often right in front of the engineered SLF),
or disposed of in rivers/sea or remains in unorganised heaps all across the
city which undermine environment, public health and safety. While the concern
and intent of ‘reducing the burden on landfill’ are noble, but they should <u>not
be at the cost of the environment and public health</u>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">30.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">In this context it is pertinent to present
proven hierarchy of technical options practiced worldwide, as shown in Exhibit
1, wherein the option of landfill represents bedrock of a robust, integrated
and effective solid waste management system. As against this proven hierarchy, as shown in Exhibit 2, the MSW Rules, 2016 embrace an <b>inverted
hierarchy</b> wherein landfill is given the least priority while bulk of the
problem is <b>presumed</b> to be addressed
through the <b>intractable</b> 3R or 4R
measures, viz., reduce, </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14.6667px;">reuse, recycle and recover. However, w</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%; text-indent: 0in;">ith
recent implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations, the
economy in general will witness more consumption rather than reduction. Moreover,
looking at the changing lifestyles, and rising aspirations to achieve
increasingly higher standard of living (American Dream), the 3R paradigm is
only a rhetoric; and municipalities and waste managers cannot take recourse to
that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">31.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Further, the Rules appear to prescribe a
series of options for reuse of inerts (e.g., making bricks and pavement blocks,
etc.) which shows that <i>prima facie</i>
the intent and priority of the Rules is <b><u>not
safeguarding public health at least cost but pursuing the paradigm of resource
recovery at any cost</u></b>. However, as mentioned earlier, every incremental
processing of the waste material comes at a significant cost which does not
necessarily translate into commensurate value addition and price realisation.
Evidently as shown in Exhibit 3, most of the so called processing
facilities face severe financial challenges and irrespective of technology or
geographical location close down in short- to medium-term. For a detailed
analysis of multitude of risk factors associated with MSW treatment plants and reasons
for closing down of such large number of plants across the country please refer
to my paper titled ‘<b><span style="color: #231f20;">Risk factors associated with
treatment of mixed municipal solid waste treatment in the Indian context</span></b><span style="color: #231f20; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’, W</span>aste Management and
Research (Official Journal of the International Solid Waste Management
Association), Volume 27, Issue 10 December 2009, (doi : 10.1177/0734242X09102637;
<a href="http://wmr.sagepub.com/content/27/10/996.abstract">http://wmr.sagepub.com/content/27/10/996.abstract</a>).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">EXHIBIT 1: HIERARCHY OF OPTIONS FOR
SUSTAINABLE AND EFFECTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRGED3fUat_m5xCYo5aPcE4J17V_-sZRMipN1GG9Q6oIiX0RRZjXztoea4_5-geZQR2sSj7WnIEhyCXYw0Gli2BRGY_K2DBu8wPfgy5LLFpevtbqlITxSmZ4w653PwfP1ROg1WhyphenhyphenOe3o/s1600/Picture3_The+right+heirarchy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRGED3fUat_m5xCYo5aPcE4J17V_-sZRMipN1GG9Q6oIiX0RRZjXztoea4_5-geZQR2sSj7WnIEhyCXYw0Gli2BRGY_K2DBu8wPfgy5LLFpevtbqlITxSmZ4w653PwfP1ROg1WhyphenhyphenOe3o/s320/Picture3_The+right+heirarchy.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.25in 0.25in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.6667px;">EXHIBIT 2: INVERTED AND IMPRACTICAL HIERARCHY OF OPTIONS </span><span style="font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14.6667px;">EMBRACED</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.6667px;"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.6667px;">BY THE MSW RULES, 2016</span></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowZF6rbuixAn5IouEuxy84fiRGddBt7b1J9o_PtYwlwA-MGh5kVVTuOo8LHQblE_GSzCXj0QoS3fkM6H4hHowRw1lsizGHT0E5lcK_mS6NXY2Ff4BngOba28Kph5JoRyQHZCVIRfBk3s/s1600/Picture4_The+inverted+heirarchy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowZF6rbuixAn5IouEuxy84fiRGddBt7b1J9o_PtYwlwA-MGh5kVVTuOo8LHQblE_GSzCXj0QoS3fkM6H4hHowRw1lsizGHT0E5lcK_mS6NXY2Ff4BngOba28Kph5JoRyQHZCVIRfBk3s/s320/Picture4_The+inverted+heirarchy.png" width="307" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="line-height: 110%;"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">EXHIBIT 3: CLOSED TREATMENT PLANTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY</span></b></div>
<div align="center">
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<thead>
<tr>
<td style="border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 153.9pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Technology<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 225.0pt;" valign="top" width="300"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Location of closed plants<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 153.9pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Composting<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 225.0pt;" valign="top" width="300"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Trivendrum, Vijaywada, Bangalore (2) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Kolkata, Asansol, Durgapur, Jagganathpuri<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Mumbai (3), Thane, Ahmadabad<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Delhi (2), Gwalior, Bhopal, Faridabad-Gurgaon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Shimla, Shillong <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">All Air Field Stn. (6)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Kanpur,
Barielly</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 41.35pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; height: 41.35pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 153.9pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: list .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Vermi-composting<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 41.35pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 225.0pt;" valign="top" width="300"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Mumbai
(400 MT/d) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Suryapet, Ramagundam <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Chalisgaon, Phaltan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 153.9pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Biomethanation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 225.0pt;" valign="top" width="300"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Lucknow<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Chennai, Vijaywada<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 21.1pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; height: 21.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 153.9pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: list .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Mass
burn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 21.1pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 225.0pt;" valign="top" width="300"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Timarpur @ Delhi<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 153.9pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: list .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Refuse
Derived Fuel<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 225.0pt;" valign="top" width="300"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Baroda,
Mumbai, Jaipur <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Bangalore, Hyderabad, Guntur-Vijaywada <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 153.9pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: list .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Pyrolysis<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 225.0pt;" valign="top" width="300"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Pune<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 153.9pt;" valign="top" width="205"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: list .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Plasma
Arc<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 225.0pt;" valign="top" width="300"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Nagpur (Hazardous industrial waste)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">32.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">By imposing such restrictions, on one hand the
Rules apparently do not recognise sanitary landfill as the most robust,
flexible, forgiving and least cost option of waste management; prevent adoption
of the option of ‘bioreactor’ landfill
(which allows combined treatment and disposal of organic waste without
investment in a plant, but maximise capture of landfill gas – methane, for
possible conversion into energy - <a href="ftp://ftp.solutionexchange-un.net.in/public/wes/cr/res-15120803.pdf">ftp://ftp.solutionexchange-un.net.in/public/wes/cr/res-15120803.pdf</a>),
and on the other hand make it virtually compulsory to set up capital intensive
treatment plants which are prone to high wear and tear, corrosion, break down
and represent depreciating assets. It is therefore to be recognised that this
is one of the most contentious and unfeasible clauses of the MSW Rules which
must be objectively reappraised and removed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .25in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">OVERWHELMING
CHALLENGES IN TREATMENT OF MSW<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">33.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Section 15, Clause (m) and Clause (v),</u> </b></span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">it is
noteworthy that the Rules are prescriptive in terms of technology, instead of
focusing on public health outcomes. For instance, under the referred clauses,
the Rules prescribe construction of, among others, compost, biogas or
vermicompost plants with the underlying intent
‘for optimum utilisation of various components of solid waste’. Secondly,
under the same clauses the Rules recommend decentralised treatment to ‘reduce
transportation costs’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">34.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">However, we would like to emphasise here that
the main objective of a MSW treatment plant is basically to reduce the volume
of waste (which is putrefying, pathogenic, offensive and at times contains
hazardous material) as well as to render it as innocuous as possible for
eventual safe disposal but <u>not to make use of it for production of any value
added products and generate profit therefrom; or to reduce transportation cost</u>.
Setting up decentralised treatment plants with the objective of reducing
transport costs is also running contrary to safeguarding urban aesthetics and
public health. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">35.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Some of the common challenges faced by all solid
waste treatment plants comprise (a) severe wear and tear and corrosion of
equipment and as result, very high breakdown and need for replacement, (b) lack
of any guarantee on quality and quantity of feedstock and as result severe
shocks on sensitive biological processes, (c) very adverse environmental and
social impacts, and as a result the affected communities virtually get
ostracised and take recourse to litigation. On top of these, there are is very
wide range of technology specific challenges which are described in the
paragraphs that follow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">The
challenges of earthworms<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">36.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">As regards vermicomposting as an option for
MSW treatment, we would like to submit that this is not an option for
addressing city level challenge where waste quantities are very large. Earthworms
are very sensitive to climatic factors (temperature variation), predators,
feedstock quality/toxins, moisture content, etc. and are typically
characterised by very high die-off rate. Further, it has been found that
indigenous species are not effective and instead one needs to procure exotic
species (from Germany and Italy) at fairly high prices. Therefore, suggesting this
as an option for scaled up facilities is not pragmatic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">The
challenges of composting<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">37.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Compost made out of MSW invariably contains
heavy metals, toxins, antibiotics, weed seeds, pathogens, glass, sharps, etc.
therefore it is not suitable for food crop application. Secondly, compost has
very low nutrient value and very low shelf life therefore farmers are not very
motivated to use it. Thirdly, while compost production is 365 days, its demand
is only three times a year coinciding with sowing seasons; and as a result the
plant operator has very poor cash flow. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">The
challenges of biomethanation<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">38.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">The bacteria in the biogas reactor are highly
sensitive to (a) fluctuation in temperature (they cannot tolerate more that ±
2⁰C and therefore addition of large quantity of cold water in winter severely
affects their performance); (b) fluctuations in feedstock quality, consistency
and feeding rate; and (c) toxicity due to heavy metals, etc. As a result
performance of the technology is very unreliable, i.e., over the seasons there
is high fluctuation in gas production. Next, the gas is highly corrosive which
adversely affects plant and equipment and reduces their effective lifespan. The
gas engines required for conversion of biogas into energy have to be imported -
they turn out to be very expensive, and their spare parts are either not easily
available or they are too expensive to procure. Lastly, in absence of the
possibility of cogeneration (combined heat and power) the net energy
utilisation efficiency is as low as 22% which makes the whole proposition
commercially unviable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">The
challenges of refuse derived fuel/ incineration<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">39.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Typically Indian MSW contains fairly high
moisture and non-combustible (viz., sand, stones, dust, silt of road side
drains, construction debris, etc.) and as a result its calorific value is low.
It does not burn on its own, instead it requires auxiliary fuel which entails
additional cost for the operator. Secondly, the boiler of a WtE plant
experiences severe damage to its tubes due to the higher presence of inerts.
Thirdly, an RDF/incineration/WtE plant requires skilled manpower to operate the
plant. Fourthly, it requires robust emission control system. Lastly, as
mentioned earlier, in this case also the net energy utilisation efficiency is
as low as 22%.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">40.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">As a result of the above described
technological challenges, any entrepreneur operating a MSW treatment plant
based on any technology without any financial incentives finds it next to
impossible to sustain operations beyond 3-4 years. Therefore it is necessary
that the whole issue of waste treatment be looked objectively and after taking
into consideration the experience of a large number of failed plants across the
country over the last one and a half decade. It appears that the revised Rules
have not drawn lessons from the experiments of last 16 years where the results
have been most unfavourable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">41.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">In view of the above, instead of going down to
the level of specifying treatment technologies, the Rules should ideally
restrict themselves to specification of performance standards in terms of,
among others, environment and public health. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">UNREALISTIC
TIMEFRAME FOR IMPLEMENTATION<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">42.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Section 22</u></b>, the recommended timeframe of 1, 2 and 3 years is
ambitious and absolutely unrealistic. MSW Rules, 2000 had also adopted the same
timeframe and we know that even after 16 years there is not a single ULB which
can claim to comply with the said Rules in entirety. Evidently the people
involved in drafting of the MSW Rules 2016 do not appear to be drawing lessons
from the experience of the last 16 years.
It needs to be recognised that there are around 8000 large, medium and
small ULBs all across the country and there is not enough capacity in the
country to implement envisioned works (planning, designing, getting
environmental and social clearances, preparing contract documents, inviting
bids and awarding contracts, financial closures, construction, etc.) within
such a short time frame for such large number of cities and towns. Showing
unnecessary haste carries the risk of wasteful expenditure and poor
implementation. </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .25in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid;">
<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">WHAT
IF THERE IS NO COMPLIANCE?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">43.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Over the last 16 years, while not a single ULB
could achieve compliance with MSW Rules, 2000, we do not have a case of any one
of them being taken to court for any punitive action. It is so because the
Rules did not have any clauses to that effect. Likewise, it is found that in
their new version the MSW Rules, 2016 also do not have any specific mention of
punitive action that can be initiated against any ULB in case of either
non-compliance with the strict and ambitious timeline; with collection and safe
disposal of waste; or due to adverse socio-environmental and public health
impacts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">THERE
IS NO SUCH THING AS TEMPORARY STORAGE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">44.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Schedule-I, Section (A) Clause (xi) and Schedule-II Section A Clause
(c)</u></b>, the Rules variously mandate provision of ‘temporary storage’ /
‘temporary processing site’/ ‘temporary landfill site’ at each landfill site. This
is with the objectives of (a) storing the incoming waste for the duration over
which treatment plant may not be operational, and (b) saving landfill volume.
However, this provision runs contrary to the basic premise of a sanitary
landfill which is provided to take care of, among others, such emergencies
e.g., shut down or closure of treatment plants, arrival of excess or
incompatible waste loads, inclement weather, etc. By insisting on ‘temporary
storage’ (which will be nothing but open stocking and open burning) of a large
quantity of putrefying waste (say @300 MT/day x 30 days of plant closure = 9000
MT) the Rules do not seem to take into account (a) the potential adverse impacts
on the environment and public health and (b) the associated cost of multiple
handling of waste. Actually when it comes to proper operations of sanitary
landfills, there is nothing called ‘temporary storage’ of municipal waste. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">THERE
IS NO SEWER LINE NEXT TO LANDFILL<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">45.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Schedule-I, Section D, Clause (iii),</u></b> regarding management of
leachate, interestingly the Rules suggest, among others, disposal of treated
leachate into sewer lines. This recommendation assumes as if a landfill is
located within a city and a sewer line is passing nearby. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">46.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">Under the same clause the Rules
recommend ‘recycling of treated leachate’; however international best practice
is the other way round - to recycle untreated leachate with the objective of,
among others, getting it treated during its passage through the landfill and
also enhance landfill gas production for gainful use. This shows that the Rules
are rather idealistic and do not align with established best practices. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">THERE
IS NO SCOPE FOR LANDFILL GAS HERE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">47.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Schedule-I, Section (F), Clause (i) and Clause (iii),</u></b>
amazingly and intriguingly the Rules recommend enhanced recovery of landfill
gas (LFG) by way of installation of, among others, collection system and gas
wells; and its utilisation for power generation. This is amazing because on one
hand the Rules prohibit disposal of organic material in the landfill which is
the singular factor which contributes in generation of landfill; and on the
other hand the same set of Rules recommend installation of infrastructure for
collection, treatment and utilisation (a turbine or a generator system) which
is capital intensive. In absence of organics, there is no scope of ‘enhanced
recovery’ of LFG and power generation on commercial terms and the operator will
not be able to recover the investment. Evidently, and as in previous several
instances, this provision of the Rules is purely theoretical. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">HOW CAN
THERE BE HUMAN SETTLEMENTS ON LANDFILLS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">48.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Schedule-I, Section (H), Clause 2,</u></b> the Rules allow use of
closed landfill sites for human settlement after 15 years of closure.
Apparently the Rules do not take into account the risks of release of poisonous
LFG over an extended period of time, subsidence due to degradation and
compaction of waste; and the risks of indiscriminate drilling of bore wells by
residents in search of groundwater and withdrawal of possibly contaminated
water therefrom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">THERE
CAN BE NO COMPOSTING SANS AIR POLLUTION CONTROL<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">49.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">Under <b><u>Schedule-II, Section A, Clause f,</u></b> the Rules recommend
monitoring of air quality to determine odour nuisance, however they do not
specify the appropriate composting technology of ‘aerated static pile‘ (ASP)
which is followed worldwide to minimise odour nuisance. An ASP system ensures
regular supply of air into rotting pile of waste and thereby does not allow
formation of anaerobic conditions which essentially lead to odour nuisance. It
will be pragmatic if the Rules made this recommendation which will save many
compost plants from closure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">CONCLUSIONS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">50.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Based on a rigorous analysis it is evident
that on the whole the revised MSW Rules, 2016 are not very different from the
original MSW (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000. The revised Rules have
embraced the same old paradigm and have not drawn lessons from the experience
of last 16 years and more where it is known that none of the municipalities -
large, medium or small alike across the country was able to comply with them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">51.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 110%;">It is also evident that the Rules
are heavily inclined towards waste ‘processing’ - converting waste into wealth
and energy, and least towards safe disposal of waste into sanitary landfills
which represent a least cost and most robust and dependable option. </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 110%;">Based
on this analysis we are therefore constrained to feel that, it would be perhaps
not inappropriate to call the revised rules as <b>Municipal Solid Waste (Promotion of Treatment Plants and Prevention of
Sanitary Landfill) Rules, 2016</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">52. In view of the above,
it is our considered view that unless the policy of MSW management in the
country adopts an objective and practical approach, we will continue to witness
the same level of poor solid waste management what we have been experiencing
over the last several decades and environment and public health will continue
to suffer. Therefore in the interest of the People of India it is urgent and
necessary that the MSW Rules, 2016 be suitably modified. </span></div>
</div>
Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-76926816230221999122015-08-21T02:06:00.003-07:002015-08-21T02:15:51.339-07:00Waste to Wealth or Waste of Wealth - another example in vicinity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Couple of years back a friend attempted to take social entrepreneurship through the solid waste management route. He felt 'waste to wealth' a very tempting proposition to do some good for the environment and the urban poor. What could have been better then to try this out next to a place of worship - with God watching and presumably extending all the blessing ! The Sai Baba Temple at the Lodi Road was chosen for this innovative initiative and the management was motivated to take on this project. A machine was bought at a cost of Rs. 200,000 to grind waste flowers from temple. It was presumed that devotees will come forward to purchase 'perfumed powder' for use as 'samagri' / sacrificial offering in the sacred fire/ hawan performed on special occasions in many Hindu households. However with rapid modernisation of the society, such rituals are becoming rather infrequent and devotees did not show any interest in using such innovative samagri.<br />
<br />
Leaving the lack of devotion apart, operation and maintenance of the machine itself was becoming a liability for the temple committee. The electricity bill was mounting while the machine itself was giving some blues - break downs, rusting, etc...As per a news item published in today's The Hindu the machine has been discarded and is found rusting between two flower shops near the temple (see the photo below). The Committee intends to sell it off as a scrap. See the full article on the link below:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">‘Stench of decayed flowers unbearable’ </span></h1>
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<a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/stench-of-decayed-flowers-unbearable/article7563543.ece?ref=tpnews">http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/stench-of-decayed-flowers-unbearable/article7563543.ece?ref=tpnews</a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0gaMAcbifNH_MqgaOVi-2ZZu9ZPbeqqfa4zxkWs_379tw_AXZloCLAHAhoY1YuqcT5s523kqOszva_MVhn79WyPaiIehzXYcgbx4mrZW9prznNUwppwmzJXQKps5oZkzM-fhMLVDxFE/s1600/DE21__MACHINE___DE_2518299f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0gaMAcbifNH_MqgaOVi-2ZZu9ZPbeqqfa4zxkWs_379tw_AXZloCLAHAhoY1YuqcT5s523kqOszva_MVhn79WyPaiIehzXYcgbx4mrZW9prznNUwppwmzJXQKps5oZkzM-fhMLVDxFE/s400/DE21__MACHINE___DE_2518299f.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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So much for attempting wealth from waste ! It proves again the futility of 'waste to wealth' paradigm; and also that wealth creation happens only from application of sound knowledge/expertise, hard work, perseverance, etc. and not from 'waste on its own' under the approach as was tried out in this case.<br />
<br />
Hopefully makers of our MSW Rules will take note of this experiment (which took place not too far from where the Rules are framed!) and help save lots of national wealth going down the drain in the name of treating or adding value to waste. </div>
Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-23604633263048707122015-08-13T22:08:00.002-07:002015-08-13T22:08:32.343-07:00Landfills: The good, the bad, and the trashy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here is a link to an article by Linda Tufano of Waste Dive which attempts to dispel some misconceptions about sanitary landfills.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wastedive.com/news/landfills-the-good-the-bad-and-the-trashy/403880/" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" target="_blank">http://www.wastedive.com/news/<wbr></wbr>landfills-the-good-the-bad-<wbr></wbr>and-the-trashy/403880/</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"> </span><br />
<br />
In India there appears to be strong opposition to the idea of sanitary landfill by the sons and daughters of the soil, under the perception that there is severe paucity of land, however not recognising that increasing affluence is leading to rising consumption pattern in the society and thereby increasing quantities of solid waste including construction debris and demolition waste. For instance my neighbour on the top floor decided to convert his perfectly fine DDA flat into a penthouse - demolishing all the internal walls and changing to granite/marble flooring (not bothering about inconvenience to others) and in the process generating significantly large quantities of CDD waste ! (MCD did not listen to our pleas!). Where did all this waste go? Evidently into an open dump on the back side of the colony !<br />
<br />
The revised Draft MSW Rules, 2015 are also asking for treatment of MSW ad infinitum and ad nauseum without recognising the fundamental unsustainability of this paradigm; without recognising the impracticality of segregation in a highly disorganised society which is characterised by high level of indiscipline (open defecation, open urination, spitting, red light jumping and other minor and major traffic violations, etc....) and low level of 'education awareness, concern and commitment towards environment'. Wonder when our MSW Rules will be aligned to the socio-economic reality of the Indian society ? Or they will continue to be a copy of some of the developed societies e.g., Western Europe, Scandinavia and Japan, etc. - a result of some exposure visits and .....?</div>
Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-44599452599337245932015-08-11T05:03:00.002-07:002015-08-14T09:32:50.806-07:00The challenge of the Draft MSW Rules 2015!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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If the Draft MSW Rules 2015 get approved and notified, then in the name of decentralisation we will have a biogas plant in every colony, every campus and every mall ! The smell will be a bonus; Likewise every locality may have small scale composting - mismanagement and nuisance will come for free ! In the name of decentralised treatment some die hard solid waste management experts are planning to create mayhem in Indian cities; It appears they do not perceive the need of getting expert advice from town planners, landscape specialists, architects, real estate agents etc. who perhaps bring more balanced perspective on matters related to urban spaces, layouts and aspirations on quality of life, aesthetics, etc. </div>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">The authors of the Draft Rules perceive Indian society to be as educated, aware, concerned and committed towards environment as those of Japan and Western Europe ! The assumptions are simplistic and utopian....We are expecting segregation of sanitary napkins and diapers in a separate category called 'sanitary waste' as if the 'green' and the 'brown' or the 'wet' and 'dry' or 'biodegradable' and non-biodegradable' were not enough !! And the RUles give a further surprise - they state that the sanitary waste should be wrapped up in a newspaper and kept along with 'dry waste' (as if newspapers have enough strength to hold onto it after it gets soggy from the moisture) !! Moreover the Rules do not mention how this category of waste will be collected, stored at the CWDs, transported and disposed of ! It appears that we are not drawing lessons from the experience of last 15 years where the segregation paradigm has not been successful. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">The Rules are heavily in favour of treating the waste and therefore use the term 'processing' as if there will be significant value addition. The purpose of treatment is being disregarded - it is </span></span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">reduction</span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> of </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">volume and nuisance, not to generate positive cash flows. As shown below, we have a long list of failed plants all across the country.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: white; line-height: 130%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="line-height: 130%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">STATUS OF MSW TREATMENT
PLANTS ACROSS GEOGRAPHY AND TECHNOLOGIES<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
</div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.75pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 6pt 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Technology<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td colspan="2" style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 373.05pt;" width="497"><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 6pt 0cm; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Plant
status<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 18.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 18.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.75pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 6pt 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 18.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 240.95pt;" valign="top" width="321"><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 6pt 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Closed<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 18.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 132.1pt;" valign="top" width="176"><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 6pt 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Operational<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.75pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 6pt 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Composting<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 240.95pt;" valign="top" width="321"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 1.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Thiruannanthpuram,
Kollam, Vijaywada, Bangalore (2); <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 1.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Thane,
Mumbai (3);<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 1.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Kolkata, Asansol, Durgapur, Shillong, Jagannathpuri;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 1.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Delhi
(3), Shimla, Gwalior, Bhopal; Yamunanagar;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 1.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Air
field Stn. (6), Bareilly, Kanpur;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 1.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Ahmedabad, Rajkot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 132.1pt;" valign="top" width="176"><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 6pt 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Delhi and Bangalore<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.75pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 6pt 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Vermi-composting<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 240.95pt;" valign="top" width="321"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 1.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Mumbai (400 MT/d); Suryapet, Ramagundam;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 1.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Chalisgaon,
Phaltan; and a number of small scale plants all across the country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 132.1pt;" valign="top" width="176"><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 6pt 0cm;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.75pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 6pt 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Biomethanation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 240.95pt;" valign="top" width="321"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 1.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Lucknow,
Chennai (Koyumbedu), Vijaywada.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 1.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 132.1pt;" valign="top" width="176"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 1.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sholapur;
small scale plants in Pune, Mumbai, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 18.55pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 18.55pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.75pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 6pt 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Mass burn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 18.55pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 240.95pt;" valign="top" width="321"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 1.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Timarpur
@ Delhi (1988-90)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 18.55pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 132.1pt;" valign="top" width="176"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 1.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Okhla
@ Delhi (2011)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.75pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 6pt 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">RDF<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 240.95pt;" valign="top" width="321"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 1.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Baroda, Mumbai,
Jaipur;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 1.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Bangalore, Guntur-Vijaywada, Hyderabad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 1.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Faridabad.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 132.1pt;" valign="top" width="176"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 1.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Chandigarh,
Ahmadabad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 1.7pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Treatment is proposed for minimising or to the extent of eliminating sanitary landfills. In this regard the Rules are attempting to embrace the European paradigm of 'Zero Waste' ! But interestingly we are already there - </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">we do not send any waste to SLFs </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">because we do not have any !! Unfortunately, i</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">n absence of SLFs, every city will have open dump sites with smoldering waste pile...., etc. For example, see the pictures from Shillong and Vijayawada:</span></div>
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The Rules also bring a strange concept of temporary landfill/ stocking, in the event of a plant facing shut down for maintenance, so that the material can be used when the plant becomes operational! However it is extremely challenging to bring this in practice. Further, the Rules expect ULBs to stock separately the combustible material and send it later to a cement factory. Good idea, but the challenge is that the material will spread odour and can catch fire.<br />
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The following picture shows the situation of few years back at the open dumpsite of Gazipur in Delhi:<br />
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<span style="line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">PS: For a good look and feel, click the pictures to enlarge!</span></div>
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Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-62090441222632857632014-02-25T08:02:00.000-08:002014-02-25T19:22:21.692-08:00VIRTUES OF A SANITARY LANDFILL SITE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">CONTRASTING PARADIGMS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Technically a sanitary landfill site is an essential and
integral infrastructure component of a robust and successful solid waste
management system for any urban centre. However, one school of thought –
primarily representing environmental activists of varied hues has attempted to
project it as “least preferable” or “least favoured” option. This is so because of, among others, the
misplaced perception as regards its footprint, and possible emissions of
leachate and landfill gas, if any. This
school of thought perceives that a bulk of the problem can be solved by the ‘3R’
principle – reduce, reuse and recycle. This school of thought also perceives
that municipal waste - being ‘solid’ as it is termed to be, warrants ‘recovery’
of residual matter/value to the maximum
extent without taking into account the multitude of social, behavioural,
climatic, technological, institutional and financial challenges which together
undermine the techno-economic viability of the proposition. Accordingly it offers
a hierarchy of options for municipal solid waste management which corresponds
to an inverted pyramid as shown in Exhibit 1. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">EXHIBIT 1: INVERTED HIERARCHY OF MUNICIPAL SOLID
WASTE MANAGEMENT OPTIONS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOiWTJLzelz_G-CEMleFSsWo4o2tK_nT-KTArsfP2AWijvuZnHc93IIrwpUX0tamz52hxTboPlyb5YT7E_ZlZhOYq2MmCFCZYTH5kUZoH2o71kVEHPMrUI2cGIhRlqU4VRN4ovU2cBdR8/s1600/Inverted_waste_management_hierarchy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOiWTJLzelz_G-CEMleFSsWo4o2tK_nT-KTArsfP2AWijvuZnHc93IIrwpUX0tamz52hxTboPlyb5YT7E_ZlZhOYq2MmCFCZYTH5kUZoH2o71kVEHPMrUI2cGIhRlqU4VRN4ovU2cBdR8/s1600/Inverted_waste_management_hierarchy.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This is a noble paradigm which attempts to reduce
consumption, minimise waste and maximise recovery, however it appears to be
oblivious of increasing urbanisation, changing life styles, partial affluence
and the juggernaut of ‘consumerism’ percolating down to the lowest strata of
the society; and the sustained impetus by the national and state governments
for higher economic growth – more so driven by the overwhelming forces of
globalisation. This paradigm attempts to balance a pyramid on its head and
defies the conventional engineering wisdom (and that of the Egyptian
civilisation!) of ensuring a wide base for any structure or system to be stable
and long lasting. To the hardcore professionals who have spent all their lives
working in the field of SWM, this inverted pyramid only represents imagination
of poets or work of an artist/ graphic designer. It is not surprising that
across India, cities which have been prevailed upon to embrace this paradigm
are finding their solid waste management systems falling flat and urban
landscape characterised by unmitigated and indiscriminate disposal of waste. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In contract to this, across the world cities where solid
waste management systems have been implemented successfully have relied on the
hierarchy of options which is represented by an upright pyramid as illustrated
in Exhibit 2. In this hierarchy a sanitary landfill site (as against an open
dump site) forms the bedrock of a robust infrastructure and management system
as it recognises that bulk of the problem is addressed by this option while the
other options - corresponding to the numerous ‘Rs’, being still relevant but
have only selective and decreasing role to play. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">EXHIBIT 2: UPRIGHT HIERARCHY OF OPTIONS FOR
SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT OF MSW</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">VIRTUES OF AN SLF<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">From land area requirement point of view while a sanitary
landfill site may still be ‘least favoured’, but it is most essential (and
therefore desired) because of a wide range of virtues, as listed below, that it
offers to city managers and public health engineers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 120%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b style="line-height: 120%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Reliable</span></u></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; text-indent: -0.25in;">:
A properly constructed, operated and maintained sanitary landfill site works
under all weather conditions, irrespective of precipitation or variations in
temperature, etc.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 120%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 120%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 120%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Elastic</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">: An
SLF can easily accommodate shock loads or variations in waste quantities
arriving at the site without any problem of process disruption or malfunctioning
on account of overloading, etc. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 120%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;"><br /></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Forgiving</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">: An
SLF does not have any specific requirements as regards waste characteristics,
and therefore can accept mixed MSW of any composition throughout the year. It
does not penalise for, or malfunction due to presence of contraries, inerts or
toxins which is usually the case with mixed MSW. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 120%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 120%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Accommodative</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">: An
SLF does not require segregation of waste as a prerequisite which apparently is
turning out to be an insurmountable proposition as experienced over the last 14
years after the introduction of MSW Rules, 2000. An SLF can accept waste pre-
or post- treatment without demanding or mandating any specific levels of
organics or inerts; without making distinction between food waste from five star
hotels and pathogenic sludge from street drains, between slaughterhouse waste
and road sweepings, between wholesale vegetable market waste and construction
debris, between domestic waste and non-hazardous hospital or industrial waste,
etc. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 120%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Dependable: </span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In
the event of a plant shut down or closure or under any unforeseen events, an
SLF </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">offers
backstopping so that waste is never left open in unsafe manner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 120%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 120%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Robust</span></u></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;"> A well constructed,
operated and maintained SLF safeguards surface and groundwater resources; prevents
nuisance due to odour, insects, birds, other vectors; and protects public
health at all times. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 120%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 120%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Affordable
source of resource recovery:</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;"> Under proposer boundary
conditions and operating parameters, an SLF enables sustainable recovery of
landfill gas as a renewable source of energy at least cost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 120%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 120%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Affordable:</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;"> An
SLF involves least cost of operation and maintenance and represents least life
cycle cost option.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Given
the multiple virtues, an SLF can be compared to a <b>‘mother’</b> which helps in keeping the house in order and safeguarding
health of urban residents at all times. On the other hand, treatment plants (based
on diverse technologies) which apparently have been given high priority for
‘resource recovery’ are characterised by, among others, tough requirements for
(a) consistency in feedstock quantity – aversion to overloading or in some
cases even under-loading (b) consistency in feedstock quality - extreme
aversion to toxicity or fall in calorific value, rise in moisture content,
inerts, etc. (c) consistency in weather conditions, (d) consistency in
operating conditions, e.g., temperature, pH, etc., (e) unavoidable adverse
environmental footprint, (f) high operating and maintenance costs, (g) high
and unsustainable replacement costs, and last but not the least, (h) woefully and
disproportionately low returns on investment, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">THE DESIRABLE AND CURRENT APPROACHES<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Therefore
construction of an adequate size sanitary landfill should be the first step
towards improving solid waste management in a city. Subsequently a city manager
can move up the hierarchy of options as illustrated in Exhibit 2 to achieve
various ‘Rs’ and thereby reduce load on SLF. This approach corresponds to
putting the horse at the right place, i.e., before the cart. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">However,
the current approach adopted by various cities across the country is reverse of
the universally proven approach and therefore it is not surprising that there
is no significant forward movement of the ‘cart’ in any part of the country as
regards safe disposal of waste. Attempting to change behaviour of lakhs and
millions of people is a humongous task – given that a large number of residents
in our urban areas are used to open defecation; a large number are not educated
or not concerned and committed towards environment, so what to expect for
source storage and segregation; given the inconsistencies and weaknesses in
collection, transport and delivery system; given the poor administrative and
financial resources available with ULBs, etc. Addressing these challenges
itself will take a long time, before treatment plants can be expected to
perform their defined role of volume reduction, let alone ‘value addition’, if
any. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">The challenge of finding space?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Until
that happens, Indian policy needs to recognise the profound utility and
potential of an SLF with regard to protection of environment and public health.
Unfortunately after 14 years of the MSW Rules, 2000 the policy does not take
into account the overwhelming evidence of a large number of failed treatment
plants, instead it deems SLF as an undesirable infrastructure. Moreover, it is
intriguing that based on the recently released draft MSW Rules 2013, apparently
the recent advisory from the highest policy making authority has even deemed
disposal of mixed MSW into SLF as virtually illegal. This hands-off treatment
to SLF is given on the premise of paucity of land resources, however we have
numerous examples where land has been acquired and allocated for other
development purposes. For instance while Noida and Greater Noida (near Delhi)
do not have either a treatment plant or an SLF, but a large piece of land was
made available for construction of a Formula-1 racing track on the outskirts
which is apparently used only for 3-5 days in a year. Likewise, while Raipur
does not have an SLF but over 200 sq.km. of area was acquired for development
of a greenfield city of Naya Raipur and where over the last 10 years no
significant habitation has developed. Likewise, several years back land for
special economic zones could be acquired in various parts of the country but
none with same zest for SLFs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">The policy influence from an advanced
setting<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Indian
policy of giving least preference to sanitary landfills appears to be based on
the policy of the European Union. However, it needs to be recognised that
Europe has reached this stage only after undergoing a great deal of
experimentation and learning over an extended period of 30 to 40 years.
Secondly, European policy recognises that embracing of strict standards needs
to be supported by a host of legislations, directives, financial incentives and
taxes. For instance restrictions on landfilling and particularly the policy of diversion
of organics from landfills which were introduced through the Landfill
Direction, 2001 are supported by (a) the directive on Integrated Pollution Prevention
and Control (IPPC), (b) the incineration directive, (c) specific Community
directives on a range of hazardous waste streams, e.g., waste oils, PCBs/PCTs,
battries (d) targets for recycling and recovery on complex waste streams, e.g.,
packaging, end-of-life vehicles (ELV), waste electrical and electronic
equipment (WEEL). Moreover, this strict policy of waste diversion is eventually
supported by the ‘principle of producer responsibility’ which was incorporated
back in 1996 and which has provided a stable source of financing to offset the
cost disadvantage of recycling as against landfilling or energy recovery. The
latter places the cost of recycling primarily on producers which in turn
encourages them to design products differently, thereby making recycling easier
and less expensive (European Commission, 2005<a href="file:///D:/The%20book/VIRTUES%20OF%20A%20SANITARY%20LANDFILL%20SITE_v2.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>). Finally it also needs to
be recognised that despite having a rather elaborate framework of policies,
legislations, incentives and taxes, and some of the most advanced treatment
systems, Europe as a whole relies on well designed and managed sanitary
landfill sites for nearly 50% of the waste it produces. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 120%;">Indian
waste policy cannot pick up management principles selectively from advanced
economies and hope to achieve equivalent high level of compliance or quality of
environment. It needs to give time to the large number of implementing agencies
to move up the learning curve, along with a host of incentives, legislative
tools as well as support by way of capacity building. Until that happens, the policy
needs to allow adequate space for the implementing agencies to follow the
practicable waste management hierarchy as depicted in Exhibit 2 and offer
appropriate role for sanitary landfills as the bedrock of integrated waste
management systems. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%;">
<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.5pt;">Acknowledgement: </span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.5pt;">The Author would like to express his
gratitude to Mr. N. C. Vasuki, Former CEO of Delaware Waste Management
Authority and Former President of International Solid Waste Authority and Dr.
Brajesh Kumar Dubey, Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering,
University of Guelph, Canada for their valuable suggestions, inputs and
encouragement in developing this paper. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div>
<!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<br />
<div id="ftn1">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///D:/The%20book/VIRTUES%20OF%20A%20SANITARY%20LANDFILL%20SITE_v2.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <span lang="EN-US">European Commission (2005). The
Story Behind Strategy of EU Waste Policy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-64486763268028303272013-08-15T21:58:00.002-07:002013-08-15T21:58:41.605-07:00The Simplistic Assumption of Segregation at Source !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Indian MSW Rules, 2000 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 call for source segregation of MSW. However, after 13 years of living witht he Rules, we probably do not have even a single municipality across the country - large or small alike, which can take the claim of having complied with this particular aspect of the Rules.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ideally speaking, segregation at source is a rather
desirable practice, but not practicable and feasible in a rather disorderly
society as in India. Look at the education deficit for the large number of
people and the corresponding deficit in terms of awareness, concern and
commitment (working class, middle class and the elites alike). Segregation
happens to a fairly high degree in certain societies which are characterised by
a high degree of discipline (e.g., Japan, Scandinavia, Europe, North America,
etc.), order, supervision and of course a great deal of commitment on the part
of the citizens. A highly disorderly society such as India can not be expected to leapfrog to
that paradigm of waste management at individual citizen level. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Indian society has high degree of entropy - traffic violation, red light jumping, unnecessary honking; spitting all over; littering; open defecation, indiscriminate disposal of construction debris, burning of dry leaves and other dry waste, etc. are some of the examples in the realm of sanitation, hygiene and waste mgmt. When ULBs are unable to address these obvious issues, how does not expect them to achieve segregation in each house, institution, establishment, industry, etc...? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All solutions which are based on the simplistic assumption
of segregation happening any time in the future in a particular habitation/
town/ city are bound to face severe and debilitating challenges, as has been
amply demonstrated by a plethora of dysfunctional treatment plants of all hues
and colour.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not recognizing this challenge and being tempted to adopt
simplistic and idealistic solutions represents a major professional error of
judgement. It is like a doctor not able to do right diagnosis (of a cardiac
patient) but is bent on offering a standard prescription assuming the patient
to follow all the right practices (quit smoking, drinking, reduce wt., go for
exercise, lower cholestrol, etc.) ! It tantamounts to a great disservice to the
society.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let us hope that the revision process underway takes into account these societal/ anthropocentric challenges.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Asit Nema</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-40850591741738425322013-06-12T03:55:00.001-07:002013-06-12T04:03:23.179-07:00It's Raining Fever in Kerala - Blame it on Open Dumps<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Some time last year I blogged about the disruption of municipal solid waste management services across the length and breadth of Kerala. Municipal workers and the urban local bodies have been derelict in discharging one of the most essential public services of removing and safely disposing of the garbage from their cities and towns (the state is a urban continuum!). Apparently they can not find suitable sites for developing sanitary landfills while several of their treatment plants have not delivered and have not lived to the expectations (no generation of wealth from waste). Now after long enough gestation, the pathogens and viruses are making their presence felt. The following link in today's Indian Express (June 12, 2013) presents some scary data on public health crisis - over last 6 months 1 million people from the 'God's Own Country' have been affected by a range of communicable diseases, among others, viral fever, malaria, dengue, cholera, etc. Daily turnout at hospitals across the tiny state is reported in the range of 10,000 to 14,000. Report says that during this period 140 persons have died of fever and 11 due to dengue. The situation has worsened after the Monsoons set in, creating favourable conditions for breeding of disease vectors on the growing mountains of open dumps and garbage clogged drains all across the state - apparently 1.5 lakh cases reported in last 10 days.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/news/-fever-hit-10-lakh-in-kerala-this-year-/1127822/">http://www.indianexpress.com/news/-fever-hit-10-lakh-in-kerala-this-year-/1127822/</a><br />
<br />
They say 'Health is Wealth'; but in the name of attempting generation of 'Wealth from Waste' and not doing safe disposal in landfills, the state is now witnessing 'Degeneration of Wealth'. Kerala is a paradox - the society has full literacy (educated?) and is rich but it is not taking due care of its natural heritage; it has low mortality but high morbidity; it aspires for high lifestyle but is also characterised by high lifestyle diseases.<br />
<br />
If a society is rich and can afford to generate increasing quantities of garbage, then it should also be able to afford its safe treatment and disposal. Otherwise it will feel the pain of paying through increasing morbidity and even mortality. Perhaps objective appraisal and revision of MSW Rules, 2000 at a far off place in Delhi will help. But when - that is the question ?<br />
<br />
Asit Nema</div>
Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-88813669594021873102013-06-10T22:14:00.002-07:002013-06-10T22:19:30.931-07:00The Chennai Challenge - So much for aspiring to comply with the MSW Rules !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have a look at the disaster in Chennai which shows the poor </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">state of garbage disposal - a </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">creation of the local Municipal Corporation: </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<a href="http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/photo-file-the-mired-marsh/article4791436.ece?ref=slideshow#im-image-0">http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/photo-file-the-mired-marsh/article4791436.ece?ref=slideshow#im-image-0</a></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are scary pictures - a wetland getting choked by garbage dumps growing like cancer. And imagine adverse health impacts due to fumes, the pathogens, the viruses and the leachate going into the groundwater. And let's not even talk about the GHGs .....</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Municipal bodies do not want to develop sanitary landfill sites, but will wait endlessly for millions of their residents to start one fine day 'segregation at source' (separating meat from the bone; or mango peel from its seed !!) and for a private operator to come with a Midas Touch to convert their garbage into gold ! Until then, it's a full blown disaster that goes on.....and several Earth Days and Environment Days will pass by... and millions will do a song and dance show and a run !! But these cosmetics will not help. </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">It's about time the society realises the heavy costs that it is paying in terms of poor health and compels the authorities to take appropriate and robust measures.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Read the full article :<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/the-mired-marsh/article4791383.ece" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">http://www.thehindu.com/<wbr></wbr>features/magazine/the-mired-<wbr></wbr>marsh/article4791383.ece</a><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's the same story across the length and breadth of the country, be it a small or a large city. But we are not drawing lessons. Its time to chuck the old theory and perceptions into the bin !</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-29796051975656374342013-05-18T21:17:00.003-07:002013-05-18T21:17:43.117-07:00Environmental equivalent of a Hawan for <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Home Composting is environmental equivalent of performing a daily <b>Yajna (Hawan/Homam)</b> - You can chant the following Shanti Mantra while feeding your GEM daily:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Samagri: Food waste (all green waste - remember we are veggies!)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Samhita: Dry leaves (all browns)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Fuel: Water</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Every environmentally concerned Earth Citizen could follow this. It will bring peace in your microcosm and help us get rid of a bit of solid waste ....</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">ॐ द्यौ: शान्ति रन्तरिक्षँ शान्ति:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">पृथिवी शान्ति राप: शान्तिरोषधय: शान्ति: ।</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">वनस्पतय: शान्ति र्विश्वे देवा: शान्ति र्ब्रह्म शान्ति:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">सर्वँ शान्ति: शान्तिरेव शान्ति: सा मा शान्तिरेधि ॥<br />ॐ शान्ति: शान्ति: शान्ति: ॥<br /><br />Om dyauḥ śāntirantarikṣaṁ śāntiḥ<br />pṛthivī śāntirāpaḥ śāntiroṣadhayaḥ śāntiḥ<br />vanaspatayaḥ śāntirviśvedevāḥ śāntirbrahma śāntiḥ<br />sarvaṁ śāntiḥ śāntireva śāntiḥ<br />sā mā śāntiredhi<br />Om śāntiḥ, śāntiḥ, śāntiḥ<br /><br />May peace radiate there in the whole sky as well as in the vast ethereal space everywhere.<br />May peace reign all over this earth, in water and in all herbs, trees and creepers.<br />May peace flow over the whole universe.<br />May peace be in the Supreme Being Brahman.<br />And may there always exist in all peace and peace alone.<br />Om peace, peace and peace to us and all beings!<br />(Translation by Swami Abhedananda, Ramakrishna Vedanta Math, India)</span></div>
Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-57318517868235548042013-04-21T21:26:00.001-07:002013-04-21T21:26:50.150-07:00Reaffirm your commitment to the Mother Earth<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This day -April 22, has been designated as Earth Day. What is a better way to reaffirm our commitment to the Mother Earth than to adopt the Green Hobby of 'Home Composting'? It is the best and most humble form of giving back to the Mother Earth. So do not let your organics go waste, convert them into manure and use it for nurturing saplings, plants and trees.<br />
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For more details on home composting, visit our website www.green-ensys.org.<br />
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Sincerely<br />
Asit NEMA<br />
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Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-87264026538833119512013-03-13T23:17:00.001-07:002013-03-13T23:17:25.211-07:00How Can Waste Pay for Itself ?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Our policy makers are still holding on to the line that the "waste should pay for itself" ! It is amazing that after several years of no compliance of the MSW Rules and after several treatment plants having been closed for a variety of reasons, we are expecting that the treatment plants will convert the garbage into gold. The two terms/ phrases 'Waste' and 'Pay for itself' are contradictory and therefore the sentence "Waste should pay for itself' becomes an interesting oxymoron ! If it were to pay for itself, it would no longer be called 'waste', and people will not discard it at all. Unfortunately due to the poetic imagination of some, 'waste' is being termed 'resource', while the reality is that waste is some thing which has lost its purpose, use and value for its owner and therefore it has been discarded. For the rag picker and Kabariwala it may have some residual value, but there is a limit to which one can stretch this argument and decide not to build appropriate solutions comprising, among others, sanitary landfills.<br />
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Considering the growing mounds of garbage across the length and breadth of the country, it is time we realise that waste will not pay for itself, but we have to pay to get rid of it. </div>
Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-44725997711964271862013-02-25T02:09:00.000-08:002013-02-25T02:10:23.741-08:00Romanticizing with municipal solid waste<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Recognising the potential threat to the environment and public health, the HonorableSupreme Court of India intervened and effected enactment of Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000 in the year 2000. At that point of time the Court directed 40 Class-I cities to clean up in 3 years. However in 2013, after 13 years of introducing the Rules and after having spent considerable resources in setting up solid waste treatment plants, we are no where close to the desired state. Officially we do not know how many Class-I cities are in a position to claim compliance with the MSW Rules, 2000 and how many treatment plants are working effectively. The fact is that not a single municipality is in position to claim full compliance with the Rules and not a single treatment plant across the country is working satisfactorily. Another fact is that across the length and breadth of the country we do not have a single well designed and operating sanitary landfill site in place. Apparently a considerable investment has been made in potentially risky treatment plants but no significant efforts have been put in place to create landfill infrastructure.<br />
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It appears that we have been romanticising with the waste for far too long. Instead of recognising the threat to public health and that of the animals (please watch this gut wrenching video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SifRIYqHfcY" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>youtube.com/watch?v=<wbr></wbr>SifRIYqHfcY</a> to find out what happens to our holy cows and how the society is indifferent and apathetic to the plight of the docile and sacred animal) we have been aiming to convert our garbage into gold - 'waste to wealth' or 'waste to energy' and not realising that it does not happen on its own. We have been using these beautiful phrases like 'Waste is not a waste, but a resource at the wrong place'; 'Reduce, Reuse and Recycle'; 'Source segregation'; 'Resource Recovery', etc....But we have not been able to show that by use of these polemics we have even a single city in the country which can claim to have achieved full compliance with the Rules. It appears that we are Romanticising with the Waste for far too long and using these beautiful phrases as excuses for not taking the serious measures of creating most reliable infrastructure of sanitary landfills or mass burn plants.<br />
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We must remember that "Waste is something which has lost its purpose, use and value to the owner" (Mataki 2010) and once something has reached its end of life it deserves only two measures - either a dignified cremation or a dignified burial. In the context of solid waste management dignified cremation means mass burn with state of the art emission control system and dignified burial means sanitary landfilling. Municipalities have to take the responsibility of creating and effectively operating these infrastructures at their own costs without expecting private players to give a Mida's touch and convert their garbage into gold. Waste loads are rising rapidly in line with the living standards of the urban population and it is not possible to address the challenges with these nice sounding business as usual approaches. </div>
Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-5676652329090548232012-07-16T02:10:00.001-07:002012-07-16T02:10:47.644-07:00Kerala dumps its waste, does not collect it - Indian Express<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On July 5th Indian Express came out with a story on the pathetic situation of municipal solid waste management across the state of Kerala (see the link below):</div>
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<a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kerala-dumps-its-waste-does-not-collect-it/970383/0" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.indianexpress.com/<wbr></wbr>news/kerala-dumps-its-waste-<wbr></wbr>does-not-collect-it/970383/0</a></div>
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It is indeed a very sorry state of affairs. For a problem of industrial dimensions, quacks are still chest beating on source segregation and decentralized solutions and activists are offering their hair-brained ideas on biogas and rag pickers, etc.. Some are hoping that the army of rag pickers will solve the problem! Its like going to traditional healers specialising in exhorcism while we have a full blown cardiac problem on hand (and there are no qualified cardiac surgeons around) !! (whatever happened to 'Mother India needing organic carbon' paradigm!!). No wonder 'God's own country' is now finding itself buried under a mountain of trash. (BTW isn't it that the term 'God's own country' was coined by the party that professes atheism!?). </div>
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Remember what we diagnosed back in 2006 ?! Wonder if you figure out that its all coming true after couple of thousand crores down the drain - The Thiruannanthpuram plant has been officially closed down, all the three plants in Vishakhapattanam have been shut down permanently, all the 10 odd plants constructed under the 'Air Force Station' scheme of the MoUD have closed or malfunctioning, and numerous others - of which I lose track !!</div>
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While we tried to convince the community, but we were shot down!! There was expectation that some day a PPP player with Midas touch will come and will convert all our trash into Gold (recently heard a senior IAS officer heading a 6 million + ULB claiming that trash is their asset !! see the previous post) !! Unfortunately the PPP market is now seeing new levels of aggressive bidding with unsustainably low tipping fee quotations !! Developers are wondering whether they can pull it off in the long run !! Operators themselves are wondering when they would be forced to close down operations. <span style="background-color: white;">We are hoping that there will light some day ! Until then ....</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">God Bless</span></div>
</div>Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-36944640142162569382012-04-01T23:30:00.003-07:002012-04-01T23:41:33.645-07:00Recently during a discussion in the context of payment of tipping/gate fee to operators of MSW treatment plants, it was very interesting to hear a very senior municipal official say that "solid waste is our asset". My reaction to this was "Do they consider their open dumps of waste as fixed deposits?"<div><br /></div><div>Our municipalities are still hoping that some day a private operator will provide Mida's touch and convert their MSW into gold ! With this as the over-riding paradigm, it is very difficult to help them realise the need for payment of gate fee to the operator in lieu of the essential service being rendered by the latter for (a) reducing waste volumes (b) rendering it safe for disposal into a landfill, and above all (c) assisting the former in discharging their constitutional responsibilities for protection of environment and public health.</div><div><br /></div><div>With the concerns raised by the Hon. Minister of Urban Development recently on sustainability of MSW and sewage treatment plants, let's hope that we will soon hear the ULBs taking a call on this difficult issue.</div>Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-38497241495059035702012-01-29T08:04:00.000-08:002012-01-29T08:12:25.873-08:00<p>It is interesting to note that some people at pretty high levels still consider solid waste management to be just 'brooming the streets' ! No wonder we miss the point and find ourselves in the present situation as seen across the entire urban India. </p><br /><p>Wonder when the domain of MSW will be recognised as an operation involving 3 M - Material, Man and Machine and when sound industrial management principales for optimum performance on all the three fronts will be adopted ? Let's not forget that the bottom line is optimising the finances involved in capex and opex and deliver an acceptable level of service to the users/ customers.</p>Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-2681831954370460092010-05-14T02:06:00.000-07:002010-05-14T22:12:23.282-07:00Radioactive waste at a scrap dealer shopRecently radioactive waste from Delhi University found its way to a scrap shop and the owner and some workers got exposed. This week one of them has died. This is not an isolated case, as reports say that recycled steel exported from India has been found to contain traces of Cobalt-60.<br /><br />The issue is when highly learned scholars and medical practitioners can not be relied to segregate the certified hazardous waste then how do we expect humble housewives and maid servents across the country to segregate nasty banana peel and other food waste (collectively called biodegradable or 'green waste') from the rest of the household waste day-in and day-out ? MSW Rules, 2000 have embraced this paradigm of source segregation, however the reality is far too complex, given vast disparity in socio-economic and educational background as well as the level of awareness and concern. The high profile educated strata of the society is least concerned and for the underprivileged this issue is not on the radar. No wonder efforts to promote 'segregation of domestic waste' at source have failed across the country. Because it is simply not possible to overcome the overwhelming entropy that prevails in the country, look what the DU scholars did - they sold radioactive material along with scrap metal to generate some small money!!! despite stringent regulations.<br /><br />Let's hope some positive lessons will be drawn from this incident and the ambition of source segregation of household waste and resource recovery from rotting stuff will be toned down. Because like the radioactive waste, MIXED MSW also deserves to be only given a degnified burial in a sanitary landfill. Otherwise like the gama rays that come out of the former, MSW when disposed of openly will continue to release lethal viruses and bacteria and jeopardise public health - yours and mine.<br /><br />Of course an easier option for domestic kitchen waste is always there - just promote home composting !! That is the most sustainable Earth Friendly practice.Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-58578453420383241952010-04-10T23:50:00.000-07:002010-04-11T00:36:52.459-07:00GORAI SHOWS THE WAYIt is interesting to see that the long long pending capping of the Gorai garbage dump site by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) is now being termed as 'Waste to Wealth' operation. For decades the residents in the vicinity suffered, but finally they heaved a sigh of relief when good engineering practice of at least capping from the top has been adopted. Now that there is scope for land fill gas capture (whatever residual that my still be left !!) and we have the carbon missioneries offering credits, this is being recognised as a viable model for 'waste to wealth' ......... notwithstanding the issue of 'paucity of land', as it was already blocked for last 20-30 years any way.<br /><br />This initiative has also led to wealth creation in terms of appreciation in property values in the surrounding areas and thereby higher potential for property tax collection for the MCGM.<br /><br />It will be imperative to draw positive policy lessons from this initiative of the MCGM and check out how this option is more robust, sustainable and viable vis-a-vis the current policy of setting up factories for 'beneficiation' of the mixed municipal solid waste into compost, biogas or RDF.Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-67974077249778789292009-11-14T23:37:00.000-08:002010-01-28T10:42:00.711-08:00WHY VERY FEW PEOPLE WANT TO DO HOME COMPOSTING ?<p>Despite showing the most effective way of getting rid of the organic kitchen waste by the method of home composting in a bin, my experience is that there are actually very few people who really want to come forward and make commitment for the Mother Earth. People are fond of talking, debating and discussing about the issue of solid waste in workshops, seminars and conferences. The debate on source segregation is never ending without coming to the conclusion that its the maid servant which takes care of the organic kitchen waste in typical high and middle income households. The champions in such forums themselves are not coming forward to take up the most <strong>Earth Friendly Green Hobby of Home Composting ! </strong>Its a question of attitude - people perceive solid waste should be handled by some one else, its not for him or her. Some one else will come and operate his/her bin and then hand over the processed and packaged compost at the end of the month. A typical mindset also explores the business model behind this - evidently there can't be any, as seen in several progressive municipalities in the west who hand out the bins for free to their citizens !!</p><p>Secondly and funnily people also want to assess the financial benefit that could be possible out of their investment in a simple composting bin. The typical response is "How much will be the value of compost that will be produced in my bin?" and "What is the return period?" My humble request is to ask yourself whether do you get the same question while planting a tree ? or going to a temple od doing some other noble act? Then why do we ask these questions when the act is going to releave the burden from the Earth, make it a better place and in the process convert the putrefying material into a desirable end product - manure/compost. </p><p>Let's hope there will be enough concern on the issue of mounting solid waste and people will come forward to discharge their individual environmental responsibility in a foreasble period. Am I being too optimistic !</p><p>Asit Nema</p><p>November 15, 2009</p><p></p>Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-719803845172410892009-08-04T22:08:00.001-07:002009-08-04T22:15:04.431-07:00WHEN WILL WE DRAW LESSONS FOR EFFECTIVE MSW MANAGEMENT ?<div class="Section1"><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 121%" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:navy;"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 121%;font-family:Arial;color:navy;" lang="EN-GB" >The domain of municipal solid waste management is characterized by a very high degree of disorder – starting from the point of generation to collection, transport, treatment and disposal. We should not expect a private operator to come with the ‘Midas Touch’ – he is only rendering an essential service which our ULBs are finding difficult to deliver and in the process perhaps saving us from the biological warfare that we are inflicting on ourselves across the length and breath of the country. <?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 121%" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:navy;"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 121%;font-family:Arial;color:navy;" lang="EN-GB" >Solid waste management involves 3M –material, men and machines. It is akin to an industrial logistics operation wherein unfortunately value addition to the feedstock in financially viable terms is <b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">not possible</span></b>; instead the objective is to efficiently remove (by deploying men and machines) an offensive, putrefying and invariably pathogenic material away from habitations, dispose it off safely and thereby safeguard public health. In this context, <b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">the prime objective of treatment is not to convert ‘waste into wealth’ but to reduce its offensive and pathogenic characteristics, reduce its volume and thereby minimize its (ecological) foot-print for safe disposal in a sanitary landfill.</span></b> Unfortunately when it comes to treatment, our national policy is heavily influenced by ‘holistic’ and ‘idealistic’ principles of ‘resource recovery’ and we are being made to believe (by some pied pipers) that some day a combination of technology and a private operator will be available which will provide the ‘Midas Touch’ and convert our garbage into gold. <b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">We must not harbor the illusion that just because a treatment plant looks like a factory, it would or should also have the profitability of an industrial enterprise</span></b>. It is high time that we draw lessons from the cumulative experience of several failed MSW treatment plants which were constructed during last 3 decades across the country (A. Compost: <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:city st="on">Delhi</st1:city>, Mumbai, Kolkata, <st1:city st="on">Vijayawada</st1:city>, Thane, <st1:city st="on">Bhopal</st1:city>, <st1:city st="on">Gwalior</st1:city>, Shimla, Shillong, <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Mysore</st1:city></st1:place>, Trivendrum, ..….; B. Biomethanation: <st1:city st="on">Lucknow</st1:city>, Chennai, <st1:city st="on">Vijayawada</st1:city> ; C. Mass-burn: Timarpur @ <st1:city st="on">Delhi</st1:city> ; D. RDF: <st1:city st="on">Baroda</st1:city>, Devnar @ Mumbai, <st1:city st="on">Vijayawada</st1:city>, etc…and every plant had its own story and a distinct villain – for <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Vijayawada</st1:place></st1:city>, please see my previous post on this blog) that they can not generate positive revenues (either under ULB or private operator control) by selling either compost or refuse derived fuel or electricity. There are large number of risk factors involved at every stage of the supply chain and processing operation which can be summarized by the <b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Murphy’s Law</span></b> which states that – <b><i><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">if any thing that can go wrong will go wrong… </span></i></b>any time<i><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">.</span></i> In terms of one of the fundamental laws of science the situation is characterized by the <b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">2<sup>nd</sup> Law of Thermodynamics </span></b>which states that<b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> - <i><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">for a high disorder (entropy) system, the energy input required to bring desired level of order is commensurately high</span></i></span></b> and therefore the input cost will be much higher than the value of the processed outputs. It is in recognition of these tenets that world over all the MSW treatment plant operators are given ‘gate fee’ in proportion to the ‘accepts’ (all mixed waste received at the plant) which typically varies from USD 60-200/Metric Tonne. Even in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place> which has gone ahead in a major way in construction of mass-burn facilities, the gate fee is as high as USD 40/Metric Tonne. Gate fee is the main revenue stream in the overall business model of MSW treatment plants and not the proceeds from sale of compost or electricity. Unfortunately in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> the treatment plant operators are not being offered such financial support and instead only a ‘tipping fee’ corresponding to the ‘rejects’ (typically arbitrarily fixed at 20-30% of ‘accepts’ @ USD 5-15/Metric Tonne) is offered only to the landfill operators. It is argued that ULBs can not afford ‘gate fee’ at all. In that case it must be recognized that ULBs then do not qualify for creating an asset which in all likelihood is going to become a ‘non-performing asset’ very soon. In spite of lot of experience of the failed plants, unfortunately we do not seem to find the necessary corrections being incorporated in the policy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 121%" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:navy;"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 121%;font-family:Arial;color:navy;" lang="EN-GB" >In the entire chain of operations, and from the point of view of a private service provider it’s only the transport component which has the potential to generate positive revenue. This component gets paid according to the tonnage and haulage distance which are easy to measure. The flip side is that the transporter is not interested in segregation and would rather mix construction debris, drain silt, road sweeps as well. It is not surprising that there are more private players bidding for that segment than the treatment and disposal end. In several smaller ULBs one finds even municipal councilors vying for these lucrative contracts under pseudonyms. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 121%" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:navy;"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 121%;font-family:Arial;color:navy;" lang="EN-GB" >Let us also not be under the illusion that NGOs can deliver services for collection, treatment and carry out awareness without charging appropriate fees. In order to sustain their operations, offer incrementally higher level of service and ensure occupation health and safety of their workers, they need to carry out their operations as efficient private operators – involving technical expertise, equipment, manpower, operating capital, safeguards, etc. In return for their services, the municipality and the polluters at large must be prepared to pay appropriate fees. It is not surprising to find several well intentioned initiatives getting into difficulties for a variety of reasons.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 121%" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:navy;"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 121%;font-family:Arial;color:navy;" lang="EN-GB" >Lastly, it must be recognized that segregation at source is a utopian preposition especially in a society which is characterized by high degree of ‘disorder’. It has been 9 years since the MSW Rules were brought into force and we do not have any municipality out of 5000 odd across the country which can claim to have achieved success on this front, notwithstanding short-lived isolated instances. In the higher and the middle income group households, while the family members are least concerned, it’s the maid servant who generates and handles the waste – wet, dry, green, brown, <i><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">etc... </span></i>The maid servant has several handicaps – lack of education, awareness and concern and she is quite mobile – here today gone tomorrow. On this front it would be surprising to find more than 1% within the sector community itself who preach source segregation and are practicing this at their homes ! Then what to talk of the low income section of the society and the millions living in unauthorized colonies and squatter slums – its not on their radar at all.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 121%" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:navy;"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 121%;font-family:Arial;color:navy;" lang="EN-GB" >Conclusion: Under the excuse of paucity of land for sanitary landfill we are observing cancerous growth of open dumps across the urban landscape of <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> and creating biological minefields for the society at large. Our rules and policies need to be brought in synch with the reality and our efforts and resources need to be deployed more objectively in proven solutions such as sanitary landfills.</span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="color:#6600cc;">Asit Nema <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><em><i><span style="font-family:Georgia;font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:Georgia;font-size:10;color:#6600cc;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></em></p><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div>Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-2953377054018300172009-08-04T21:49:00.000-07:002013-02-25T02:16:22.028-08:00WHEN WILL WE DRAW THE HARD LESSONS ON MSW MANAGEMENT ?<div></div>Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-7703168579955769422009-05-29T02:13:00.000-07:002009-05-29T02:37:16.375-07:00Experiements of Vijayawada in MSW treatment<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRt_f3vpYW8nCL_3nW11DwFXf2mV0zYGAHoIOhXG4jjvJqCYLaxs2FbMz5sZtIvtvjy2YSBagSj286-zClUh4g5LfAE_KW2BNuE4ABjqV9nENryTWcKbGW9ILcK6JpuMnWmkTuVMy7ySg/s1600-h/DSC04992.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341176381377249938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRt_f3vpYW8nCL_3nW11DwFXf2mV0zYGAHoIOhXG4jjvJqCYLaxs2FbMz5sZtIvtvjy2YSBagSj286-zClUh4g5LfAE_KW2BNuE4ABjqV9nENryTWcKbGW9ILcK6JpuMnWmkTuVMy7ySg/s320/DSC04992.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjh7_dfnxir6hBW695nseyL4BsedjT_qiwDCgIIOxk-tTqlF6opNMCVhxqUVxYrkVDg4Z5iKuS3hosHHck6ie8RctqerluZc5wtEkUNNdiUbZXlV3KSQlSzUL1OILOmWhbYqnAmr4jT0/s1600-h/DSC04986.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341176375623802130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjh7_dfnxir6hBW695nseyL4BsedjT_qiwDCgIIOxk-tTqlF6opNMCVhxqUVxYrkVDg4Z5iKuS3hosHHck6ie8RctqerluZc5wtEkUNNdiUbZXlV3KSQlSzUL1OILOmWhbYqnAmr4jT0/s320/DSC04986.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Vijayawada, a medium size town in Andhra Pradesh in South India has come full circle. About 10 years back it started with a large scale compost plant of 300 MT/day, then about 5 years down the line it set up an RDF plant of 500 MT/day for power generation (WTE), and subsequently with GEF funding it set up a small biogas plant of 20 MT/day. As of March 2009, the status is that the compost plant operator has closed the shop due to poor sales, low realisation and mounting losses. The RDF plant is operating only at 20% of the rated capacity, the operator is incurring major losses, and the biogas plant has come to a stand still. While the biogas plant is pretty well designed and it has been producing fairly regular quantity of gas, this time the problem has occured in the gas engine section. A critical engine part is not available in the local market and neither the overseas supplier is in a position to provide a replacement. As a result the cumulative investments in mixed municipal solid waste treatment to the extent of about Rs. 550 million have come to be classified as 'non-performing assets' and the urban local body is back to the old practice of disposal in 'low lying areas' - which is simply put 'open dumping' of waste as well as open burning of waste (see the pictures). Unfortunately the overall scheme did not consider provision of a sanitary landfill site as the foundation for an effective and sustainable treatment and disposal model. There are major lessons to be learnt from this experience. First lesson is that MSW treatment plants can not pay for themselves - they need to be adequately supported by urban local bodies with appropriate fiscale and financial incentives if they are to be operated by a private service provider sustainably. Second, they are strongly under the influence of the Second Law of Thermodynamics as well as under the Murphy's Law. As per the former - its the entropy that rules the world of municipal solid waste management and as per the latter - if any thing that can go wrong will go wrong any time, not just at the worst possible moment !</div></div>Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744480669973057019.post-75469283397830773372008-10-10T22:48:00.000-07:002008-10-10T23:10:37.134-07:00Home Composting - An Individual Environmental Responsibility<div>As urban India is witnessing unprecedented growth, our cities are also confronted with increasing quantities of municipal solid waste across the country. Heaps and mountains of garbage characterise the landscape of urban India. Delhi, the capital city itself is generating around 7000-8000 metric tonnes of mixed municipal solid waste every day and it is estimated that daily waste generation across the country is of the order of 120,000 metric tonnes. This is expected to double by 2015 and quadruple by 2025. Unfortunately the municipalities of large and small cities alike are unable to handle this mounting crisis as they do not have adequate resources to collect, transport, treat and safely dispose of the waste. As a result of systemic limitations, a large part of the waste is not collected and it is found accumulating within residential areas. The other part which is collected and transported is disposed of in open dumps on the outskirts of the towns, along highways, near river banks, etc. Among others, because land is scarce and expensive, municipalities have not been able to construct sanitary landfill sites, and as a result they resort to unscientific methods of disposal. Open disposal of waste is unsafe because it creates breeding grounds for pathogenic bacteria, viruses and other disease vectors which adversely affect public heath. Diseases that can be spread because of poor solid waste management include dysentery, viral and bacterial diarrhoea, gastro-enteritis, typhoid, trachoma, plague, typhus, salmonella, leptospirosis, filariasis, malaria, tapeworm, etc. Open dumps also cause river and groundwater pollution and release odour which lead to severe environmental and psychosomatic health impacts on the surrounding communities. Decaying waste in dumps and more so in the landfills also releases methane - a powerful green house gas, which contributes to global warming. Last but not the least, because open dumps attract scavenging birds, they are a major threat to air traffic as many a times accidents take place when birds hit aircrafts near the airports.<br /><br />In order to address this growing public health and safety concern, the Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systems has developed an alternate approach which involves motivating urban residents to start exercising their ‘Individual Environmental Responsibility’ by adopting the ‘Earth Friendly Green Hobby’ of ‘Home Composting’ and thereby evolve as concerned ‘Earth Citizens’.<br /><br />In this approach, the biodegradable kitchen waste (whatever a cow can eat!) from a house is put in the Green Earth Machine (GEMÔ) – an improvised bin of 100-150 litre with plenty of holes for composting which has been developed by the Foundation. A GEMÔ is designed for Indian conditions such that it can absorb 1-2 kg/day of vegetable waste from a typical family on a continuous basis, all round the year. The GEMÔ works on completely natural forces - it requires no energy, chemicals, earthworms or bacterial solutions; it works under aerobic conditions and transforms the waste into a good quality compost.<br /><br />The art and science of ‘Home Composting’ requires maintaining a balance between vegetable kitchen waste, dry leaves (or waste paper, cartons boxes, etc.), moisture and mixing the contents once a fortnight with a rod or a garden rake. From time to time one can sprinkle garden soil, compost, ash or neem khali (de-oiled cake of neem seeds). First compost will come out in about 3 months and then every month one can take out small quantities. Users can integrate this practice with or cultivate the hobby of gardening and derive joy from doing good for the environment.<br /><br />For the motivated individuals, this practice represents sacrificial offering to the Mother Earth which one can perform by chanting the mantra “Peace be in the universe, peace be on the Earth, peace be in the water, peace be in the herbs and vegetation and peace be everywhere…” which is normally done on completion of a Hawan. For a municipality, this represents an ultimate form of community participation and decentralised solid waste management which offers reduction in cost of collection, transport, treatment and disposal. </div><br /><div><br />To promote this practice and help clean up our cities, the Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systems has launched a War on Waste, set up a Compost Help Line 011 2697 4941 in Delhi and a created a website <a href="http://www.green-ensys.org/">http://www.green-ensys.org/</a>. Over last 2 years it has enabled about 500 families in Delhi area to adopt this practice which enables returning kitchen waste in a humble manner back to the Earth. In this regard, the Foundation aims to create India Home Compost Network with committed NGOs and municipalities such that more cities and towns can adopt this approach and improve sanitation levels and safeguard public health respectively.</div>Foundation for Greentech Environmental Systemshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03412542433370525083noreply@blogger.com2