SURVEY OF URBAN SOLID WASTES OF FOUR MUNICIPAL TOWNS OF KERALA

Funding Agency: Hazardous Substances Management Division, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India through Science, Technology and Environment Committee, Government of Kerala

Municipal Solid Wastes (MSW) pose serious problems in many cities and big towns in Kerala. A major portion of the wastes is now being disposed off as landfill. The present study was carried out to collect information on the primary and secondary collectors of MSW mainly reusable and recyclable materials in four municipal towns of Kerala, viz. Vadakara, Trissur, Palakkad and Alappuzha. The main objective of the study was to survey the existing system of waste collection and recycling and to suggest ways for its formalisation / improvement. The suggested activities included selection of major community and roadside lumps of the four cities, to study the various aspects of waste generation, collection and recycling; assessing the quantum of segregation of the waste; studying the system of collection and transportation of the refuses; assessing the mode of handling the recyclable material and their utilisation; suggesting ways and means for improving the urban waste management techniques.

A comprehensive survey was conducted in the four municipalities to collect detailed information regarding the primary collectors, kabadiwalas or secondary collectors, recycling units, the quantity and characteristics of the waste generated, etc. Necessary training was given to the selected volunteers to conduct the fieldwork. The study revealed about 500-600 people engaged in the collection of reusable or recyclable waste materials in the four municipalities surveyed. Proper steps should be taken for the welfare of these people; license could be provided for a selected group of rag pickers and they shall be given training on proper handling of hazardous and toxic wastes. Steps that need to be taken for proper management of Municipal Solid Waste are utilisation of solid waste for resource recovery; selection of proper sites for waste disposal on the basis of Environment Impact Assessment; wide utilisation of solid wastes for anaerobic digestion / biogas generation, composting, vermi-composting, etc.; use of solid wastes for pelletisation; recycling of paper, plastic, glass, scrap-iron, aluminium, copper etc. and provision of facilities for disposal of hospital wastes.