Solid Waste Management In Cities
How To Control Solid Waste Management In The Cities?
Solid waste management is the term used for garbage management. As far as the humans are living on earth, the solid waste or garbage management will always be a never-ending issue, and we are still unsuccessful to solve the problem.
There is a boom of Smart City Mission all over the nation, and people are getting attracted towards it. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan run by our Honorable Prime Minister was a grand hit and benefits the concept of Smart City.
Daily life in modern nations can spawn several pounds of solid waste, not only from home but indirectly factories; industries are equally responsible for producing the waste.
Garbage Management:
Garbage is divided into many broad categories like:
Organic waste: Kitchen waste, vegetables, flowers, leaves, and fruits
Toxic waste: Expired medicines, paints, chemicals, bulbs, fertilizers, pesticides, shoe polish, etc.
Recyclable: Paper, glass, metals, plastics
Effects of Solid Waste Pollution
People tend to clean their home and litter their surroundings which directly affect the hygiene of community. Also, many of garbage are dumped on the roadside that ends in the improper disposal system.
This type of removal allows biodegradable materials to decompose under undisciplined and unhygienic circumstances. Because of this, the production of foul smell and various breed of insects and infectious organisms takes place which spoils the surrounding and unfortunately helps in making pollution.
The toxic waste, on the other hand, percolates to contaminate the ground water. The hazardous wastes are mixed with the garbage, and other combustible waste makes the segregation and disposal more difficult and tricky.
Means of Solid waste disposal
Landfill Management
In this particular method, waste is spread out in thin layers and covered with clay or plastic. The ground is also protected from getting contaminated. Several wells are drilled near the landfill site to monitor if any leakage is contaminating ground water. The landfill site selection criteria:
•Should be above the water table
•Preferably located in Clay
•Do not want to find in sand or pits as these have high leeching
•Landfill should not be located in a floodplain, as the garbage might be float to the top and wash away downstream.
Once the waste is dumped into the landfills, it converts into manure which can be used in the agricultural sector to get the increased productivity of crops.
Incineration
The term incineration means to burn something at an extent that nothing but only ashes remains. An incinerator is constructed of very thick; well-insulated materials so that it does not produce more heat and disturb the surrounding conditions.
The incineration waste treatment system is sometimes termed as “Thermal Treatment.” With the use of this treatment, waste material is converted into heat, gas, steam and ash. This process is carried out by both small scale and large scale industries. It is used to dispose of solid, liquid and gaseous waste. The incineration method is acknowledged as a practical method of disposing of waste materials.
Reduce, Recycle, Reuse, can solve the issue of waste management and help in the creation of smart cities more smartly.
To conclude, the Solid waste management can be effectively controlled by using the above methods. The Swachh Bharat movement is a creative initiative that certainly would help us in making our lives sustainable and would undoubtedly lead us in a very hygienic surrounding to live in.
