ON URBAN WASTE MANAGEMENMT & RELATED ISSUES: A VISION STATEMENT

NOTE FOR CONSIDERATION AND DISCUSSION

COBANK TOWER, TRIVANDRUM

PREPARED BY GOSAN
GEOLOGY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
TRVANDRUM
OCT. 24, 02.
thrivikramji@yahoo.com
INTRODUCTION

IN ANY ATTEMPT TO DEVELOP A BLUE PRINT FOR IMRPOVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE
AND ENVIRONMENT OF THE CITY OF TRIVANDRUM THE QUESTION OF URBAN WASTE
MANAGEMENT MUST BE GIVEN THE SAME STATUS AS TRANSPORT, WATER SUPPLY,
HOUSING, RECREATION AND HELTHCARE.

THE WASTE MANAGEMENT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED WITH EXTREME CARE AND

SITING OF THE DISPOSAL FACILITIES CALLS FOR CAREFUL SCRUTINY OF THE
GEOLOGICALAND HYDROGEOLOGICAL SETTINGS.

NATURE OF URBAN WASTE

THE CITY WASTE IS DOMINANTLY COMPOSED OF BIODEGRADABLE MATERIAL (SAY

94%) ORIGINATING FROM DOMESTIC AND COMMERCIAL SOURCES.

PLASTICS, GLASS, TIN CANS ETC. CONSTITUTE THE REMAINDER. SORTING AT THE
SOURCE MUST BE THE SECOND STEP IN THE MANAGEMENT PLAN. THE FIRST STEP
UNDOUBTEDLY IS THE REDUCTION OF THE QUANTITY. THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED ONLY
BY EDUCATING THE CITIZENS AND OTHERS WHO LINK THEMSELVES WITH THE WASTE
FROM THE POINT OF RIGIN TO FINAL DISPOSAL.

FURTHER THE WASTE IS A POINT SOURCE OF CONTAMINANT CHEMICAL ELEMENTS

WHICH ARE SILENTLY AND SLOWLY RELEASED TO THE SUBSOIL, SURFACE AND
SUBSURFACE WATER. EXCEEDENCE OF CERTAIN BACKGROUND LEVELS OF THESE
ELEMENTS WILL LEAD TO THE “DEATH” OF THE ALREADY “STRESSED” ECOSYSTEM OF
THE AQUATIC ENVIRONEMNTS (EXAMPLE STREAMS AND KAYALS).

PROPOSAL

WE IN GOSAN BELIVE THAT THE LEAST HARMFUL METHOD OF DISPOSAL OF CITY

WASTE IS HIGH TEMPERATURE INCINERATION; WHERE BY MOST OF THE BULK IS
BURNED OFF LEAVING BEHIND A RELATIVELY TINY FRACTION OF ASH WHICH CAN BE
SAFELY KEPT AWAY.

SECONDLY, HEAT COMING OFF AS A BYPRODUCT FROM THE INCINERATORS CAN BE

UTILISED FOR GENERATING ELECRICITY IN A CAPTIVE POWER PLANT.

ALTERNATIVELY, THE CLASSIFIED BIODEGRADABLE WASTE (SANS GLASS, TIN CANS

RUBBER AND PLASTIC) CAN BE SAFELY DISPOSED OF IN A SANITARY LANDFILL.

THE ABANDONED ROCK AND SUCH OTHER QUARRIES ARE THE BEST CANDIDATES
FOR DEVELOPING SANITARY LANDFILL. NEARLY ALL SUCH QUARRIES, IN THE
MONSOON SEASON GETS FILLED WITH RAIN (AND GROUND) WATER AND POSE A
THREAT LOCALLY. MANY SUCH SITES HAVE STOLEN SEVERAL PRECIOUS LIVES BY
ACCIDENTAL FALL AND DEATH BY DROWNING.

IF SUCH QUARRY FLOORS ARE GIVEN AN IMPERVIOUS SEAL BY A COAT OF BITUMEN

THE LEACHATE ACCUMULATING INSIDE THE LANDFILL CAN BE INSULATED FROM THE
LOCAL GROUND WATER REGIME AND CAN BE PUMPED OUT AS AND WHEN
NECESSARY.

ULTIMATELY THE SITES OF SANITARY LANDDFILLS CAN BE EASILY CONVERETED INTO

RECREATIONAL SITES LIKE PLAY GROUNDS AND PARKS. GOSAN CAN ASSIST THE
AUTHORITIES IN MAKING AN INVENTORY OF SUCH QUARRIES (WHICH QUALIFY AS
POTENTIAL SITES FOR SITING SANITARY LANDFILLS)

TRANSPORT OF CITY WASTE

INSTEAD OF THE CURRENT PRACTICE OF USING COVERED TRUCKS, COMPACTOR

TRUCKS SHOULD BE USED IN A PHASED MANNER TO SAVE FUNDS AND IMPROVING
EFFICIENCY ON MANY FRONTS LIKE FUEL, WEAR AND TEAR OF THE FLEET AS WELL AS
THE SIZE OF WORKFORCE NEEDED.

THE WASTE REMOVAL FROM STREET CORNERS MUST BE CARRIED OUT ONLY DURING
THE THIRD SHIFT – BETWEEN 10PM AND 6 AM. THIS WILL ELIMINATE ROADBLOCKS
AND TRAFFIC HOLD UPS DURING THE SCHOOL RUSH HOUR. FURTHER, CHANCES FOR
BAD EXPOSURE OF THE WORK FORCE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC GETS REDUCED.

CONTRARY TO THE CURRENT PRACTICE, THE COLLECTION AND LOADING CREW

SHOULD BE PROVIDED WITH APPROPRIATE ATTIRE AND OTHER PARAPHERNALIA LIKE
GLOVES AND SHOES TO DO AWAY WITH DIRECT SKIN CONTACT WITH THE GARBAGE
AND WASTE.

LASTLY, THE PUBLIC IN AND AROUND THE POTENTIAL LANDFILL SITES MUST BE
EDUCATED ON ALL ASPECTS OF THE SANITARY LANDFILLS LIKE THEIR
CONSTRUCTION, NATURE OF THE MATERIAL GOING INTO AND COMING OFF AS
LECHATE. A WHOLE LOT OF TRANSPARENCY NEEDS TO BE BUILT INTO THE VARIOUS
STAGES OF THIS OPERATION.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

THE POINTS RAISED IN THE FOREGOING IS THE OUT COME OF A COLECTIVE EFFORT
BY THE MEMBERS OF THE GOSAN.