Solid Waste Management

Every human activity generates some discards which need to be utilized or disposed of hygienically. Mixed discards are really Waste, and unusable. Unmixed discards can almost all be put to use. Discards from a home or household are traditionally put just outside the premises nearby. If this is at a neighbour’s doorstep or on a public street, it is unacceptable. So COLLECTION is necessary, preferably at the Doorstep, in PRIMARY COLLECTION VEHICLES for onward transport. If these are designed to collect and transport different wastes unmixed, further PROCESSING for other uses becomes possible, leaving little ultimate waste for DISPOSAL.

India’s Green Revolution succeeded because there was enough organic carbon in our soils then (2%) to respond effectively to the application of urea. Today our soils are carbon-deficient (only 0.1 to 0.4%) and unable to respond as before to increasing applications of urea, which in fact makes soils less productive over time. The Planning Commission has estimated that India has a shortfall of 6 million tons a year of organic manures.

This paper traces the history of environmental legislation in India, of Court interventions and proposed civic initiatives for producer responsibility, eco-friendly packaging and waste minimization. It also outlines business opportunities in the recycling sector and the need for economic instruments and legislation to promote clean recycling.

Urban Solid Wastes include sludges (settled solids) from Sewage Treatment Plants or STPs, usually used as fertiliser. At Kanpur, because of about 280 tanneries which use chromium sulphate for tanning, sludge from one STP contains chromium compounds also.

The National meeting of the unorganized sector workers was held on 25th Feb. 2003 at Indian Social Institute, Lodi Road, New Delhi. This meeting was organized by the National Campaign Committee for Central Legislation on Construction Labourers (NCCCL).

As in most Indian cities, debris (malba) is a major problem. It does not only make a city look untidy and dirty. It causes traffic problems and accidents, especially to pedestrians and two wheeler riders, by forcing traffic into the wrong lane to avoid heaps on the road.

Composting is a pollution-abatement technology.
In our fields, plants absorb only 20% of added Urea. 80% is leached into soil, ground-water and wells : Punjab’s well – water has been ruined by nitrates.

Composting of city wastes is now a legal requirement for all urban local bodies in India , but Central and State governments have yet to perceive it as a social good requiring official nurturing. The paper describes India 's current agricultural scenario, the proven benefits of Integrated Plant Nutrient Management (IPNM) and the use of city compost in drought-proofing crops and restoring degraded soils.