Expenses higher than revenue: Biggest failure of solid waste management in country

Nagpur: Management of municipal solid waste is a big challenge for the country, the main reason being operational expenses are higher than the revenue earned, due to wrong selection of waste management technology.
This was highlighted by Harish Hirani, director of Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI), Durgapur, which is a mechanical engineering research institute and a constituent laboratory of the Indian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Hirani was speaking in a webinar on ‘CSIR-CMERI’s Municipal Solid Waste Technology’ for municipal corporations and other administrative bodies and industries. The meet was organised by Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprise – Development Institute, Nagpur, in association with HVPM’s College of Engineering and Technology, Amravati.
Stating that improper management of municipal solid waste is responsible for both surface and underground water pollution, Hirani said, “The major component of municipal solid waste is bio-degradable waste, which is in the range of 60-80%. Improper handling of this waste not only leads to emission of toxic greenhouse gases during its decomposition but also pollutes the groundwater through percolation of leachate.”
CMERI has developed a Decentralised Solid Waste Management Technology (DSWMT) comprising of a number of modules, which tries and provides solution for management of every aspect of solid waste. “The pilot plant of CMERI offers module-wise technologies for the disposal of individual components of waste, which can help the user division obtain a sustainable model,” said officials.
Inaugurated in November 2017, the technology is being implemented in CRPF Group Centre, Durgapur, Senapati, Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishupur districts of Manipur, and plastic agglomeration module in all 16 districts of Manipur. “Efforts are also underway for the installation of a 5-tonnes per day plant for fruit and vegetable waste, to be sponsored by the Punjab Mandi Board, Mohali,” said officials.
The DSWMT consists of eight modules, including mechanized segregation, bio-methanation, composting, briquetting, pyrolysis, plastic agglomeration, plasma gasification, and bricks and aggregates. “Proper disposal of bio-waste at the generation site in decentralized manner is of utmost importance as it only taps the energy from the waste through production of biogas in anaerobic digesters. Moreover, briquettes from waste, compost and vermi-compost also add to the sustainability of the model, thereby reducing the cost of transportation and the associated pollution from fossil fuel combustion in vehicles carrying waste,” the experts said.
They added that the voluminous segregated plastic waste and high bulk density inert waste can be collected, segregated and disposed in a centralized pilot plant to be developed zone-wise in an eco-friendly way.