pune landlill
September 29, 2008From: Mrityunjay Bose
RESEARCH REPORT - 'Prevent Urali-Devachi from being a toxic
Mumbai/Pune: The solid waste dumped by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) at the landfill at Urali-Devachi village in Pune district threatens to make it a 'toxic bomb' in future - and efforts needed to be initiated to convert waste into fertilizer, according to a new research report. The site is being used since 1983 - more than two decades now and 1,000 to 1,200 tonnes of garbage is disposed at Urali-Devachi everyday. The report published in the latest issue of 'Current Science' reveals the problems of air and groundwater pollution caused due to unscientific disposal of solid waste at Urali-Devachi village.Ragpickers, workers, vehicle drivers, and those residing in the nearby areas of the village are continuously exposed to air pollution. It has been found that leachates originate from solid waste landfill-contaminated groundwater. Well water found in Urali-Devachi village is not safe for drinking, outdoor bathing, propagation of aquatic life, industrial cooling and for irrigation. "If this landfill continues, it may create a toxic bomb in future," the report sounds a word of caution.The report - 'Municipal Solid Waste Disposal in Pune City - An Analysis of Air and Groundwater Pollution' has been prepared by Amar M Dhere of Department of Environmental Science of Indira College of Commerce and Science, Pune, Chandrashekar B Pawar of Department of Environmental Science, Sangola College, Sangola, Pratapsingh Pardesi of Department of Geography, SM College, Akluj and Dhanraj A Patil of YASHADA-Pune. "Conversion technology entailing conversion of solid waste to energy is proving helpful for decomposing solid waste without affecting the environment. Also, the community-based solid waste decomposition is an ideal and a safe disposal method, biological decomposition of segregated organic waste is more beneficial for solid waste management, as it easily converts waste to valuable fertilizer," the report points out.
On an average 1,000-1,200 mt solid waste is generated per day from the Pune municipal area. This unsegregated solid waste is disposed at a landfill site near Urali-Devachi village. About 43 hectares of land has been allocated for solid waste disposal, of which 15 hectares area is already landfilled and has been sealed-off permanently. The present practice of solid waste disposal consists of biological decomposition of waste and landfilling. Extra molecular (EM) culture is applied over solid waste for decomposing the organic matter. However, due to the unsegregated waste, complete decomposition is not possible. Only 150 mt decomposed organic matter is segregated per day and collected from local farmers, to be used as manure, while the remaining is left as it is for landfilling. This solid waste disposal and management practice causes various environmental problems in Urali-Devachi village. The burning of solid waste creates heavy smoke and dust pollution.The Pune municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal and management practice has led to air pollution and ground aquifer pollution in Urali- Devachi village. This as well as current practices of uncontrolled dumping of waste have created a serious environmental and public health problem. If this MSW landfill continues, it may create a toxic bomb in the future.The conversion technologies of wastes to energy (WTE) are clean, safe and pose negligible environmental risk to the public and are an attractive option for recovering energy from waste. There are over 600 successful WTE facilities around the world and about 100 in the US. Several big cities in China have incinerators for recovering energy from solid waste27.Bio-composting of segregated kitchen and domestic and commercial, organic waste is a contributory solution to convert waste into valuable fertilizer.
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
Compositable matter PaperPlastic Rag MetalGlass pieceAshScrap materialWaste papers
Dead animalsDiscarded chemicalsPaintsHazardous hospitable wasteAgricultural residue
HIGHLIGHTS
Urban centres of India produce 1,20,000 tonnes of solid waste per dayUnscientific disposal creates problems for environment Methane gas constitutes about 60 per cent in a solid waste landfillDuring landfilling of solid waste, continuous pressure results in the quizzing of a contaminated liquid as leachatePolluted groundwater is unfit for drinking and causes jaundice, nausea, asthma, miscarriage and infertility
RESEARCH REPORT - 'Prevent Urali-Devachi from being a toxic
Mumbai/Pune: The solid waste dumped by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) at the landfill at Urali-Devachi village in Pune district threatens to make it a 'toxic bomb' in future - and efforts needed to be initiated to convert waste into fertilizer, according to a new research report. The site is being used since 1983 - more than two decades now and 1,000 to 1,200 tonnes of garbage is disposed at Urali-Devachi everyday. The report published in the latest issue of 'Current Science' reveals the problems of air and groundwater pollution caused due to unscientific disposal of solid waste at Urali-Devachi village.Ragpickers, workers, vehicle drivers, and those residing in the nearby areas of the village are continuously exposed to air pollution. It has been found that leachates originate from solid waste landfill-contaminated groundwater. Well water found in Urali-Devachi village is not safe for drinking, outdoor bathing, propagation of aquatic life, industrial cooling and for irrigation. "If this landfill continues, it may create a toxic bomb in future," the report sounds a word of caution.The report - 'Municipal Solid Waste Disposal in Pune City - An Analysis of Air and Groundwater Pollution' has been prepared by Amar M Dhere of Department of Environmental Science of Indira College of Commerce and Science, Pune, Chandrashekar B Pawar of Department of Environmental Science, Sangola College, Sangola, Pratapsingh Pardesi of Department of Geography, SM College, Akluj and Dhanraj A Patil of YASHADA-Pune. "Conversion technology entailing conversion of solid waste to energy is proving helpful for decomposing solid waste without affecting the environment. Also, the community-based solid waste decomposition is an ideal and a safe disposal method, biological decomposition of segregated organic waste is more beneficial for solid waste management, as it easily converts waste to valuable fertilizer," the report points out.
On an average 1,000-1,200 mt solid waste is generated per day from the Pune municipal area. This unsegregated solid waste is disposed at a landfill site near Urali-Devachi village. About 43 hectares of land has been allocated for solid waste disposal, of which 15 hectares area is already landfilled and has been sealed-off permanently. The present practice of solid waste disposal consists of biological decomposition of waste and landfilling. Extra molecular (EM) culture is applied over solid waste for decomposing the organic matter. However, due to the unsegregated waste, complete decomposition is not possible. Only 150 mt decomposed organic matter is segregated per day and collected from local farmers, to be used as manure, while the remaining is left as it is for landfilling. This solid waste disposal and management practice causes various environmental problems in Urali-Devachi village. The burning of solid waste creates heavy smoke and dust pollution.The Pune municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal and management practice has led to air pollution and ground aquifer pollution in Urali- Devachi village. This as well as current practices of uncontrolled dumping of waste have created a serious environmental and public health problem. If this MSW landfill continues, it may create a toxic bomb in the future.The conversion technologies of wastes to energy (WTE) are clean, safe and pose negligible environmental risk to the public and are an attractive option for recovering energy from waste. There are over 600 successful WTE facilities around the world and about 100 in the US. Several big cities in China have incinerators for recovering energy from solid waste27.Bio-composting of segregated kitchen and domestic and commercial, organic waste is a contributory solution to convert waste into valuable fertilizer.
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
Compositable matter PaperPlastic Rag MetalGlass pieceAshScrap materialWaste papers
Dead animalsDiscarded chemicalsPaintsHazardous hospitable wasteAgricultural residue
HIGHLIGHTS
Urban centres of India produce 1,20,000 tonnes of solid waste per dayUnscientific disposal creates problems for environment Methane gas constitutes about 60 per cent in a solid waste landfillDuring landfilling of solid waste, continuous pressure results in the quizzing of a contaminated liquid as leachatePolluted groundwater is unfit for drinking and causes jaundice, nausea, asthma, miscarriage and infertility
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