UPSC Mains Daily Questions » Daily Answer Writing Challenge-29th July

Daily Answer Writing Challenge-29th July

Q1. What are the difficulties associated with disposing of massive amounts of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)? How can we safely remove it from our living environment? (250 Words 15 Mark)

Answer:

According to the CPCB report, only 68% of the MSW generated in the country is collected of which, 28% is treated by the municipal authorities. Thus, merely 19% of the total waste generated is currently treated in India.

CHALLENGES DISPOSING OF DISCARDED SOLID WASTES

  • Unscientific landfill management: Occasional fires due to methane production deteriorates air quality and health
  • Lack of proper collection procedure: Results in wastes being accumulated at each and every corner of the city over time.
  • Inefficient segregation: The effectiveness of segregation is reasonably low as unorganised
    sector segregates only valuable discarded constituents
  • Lack of technology: Results in inefficient processing of collected waste
  • Under capacity of processing facilities: New Projects for garbage processing facilities are stuck and lack facilities for composting of wet waste.
  • Failure of waste-to-energy projects: India is still struggling to make waste-to-energy projects a success story because of the absence of economically feasible technologies.
  • Lack of space: Haphazard urbanisation reduced the availability of segregation space required for waste management.
  • Lack of appropriate level funding: Due to the financial crunch ULBs do not have adequate infrastructure to provide suitable solutions
  • The indifference of citizens: Some of them throws garbage and other waste on road and other public places

MEASURES TO REMOVE TOXIC WASTES SAFELY FROM OUR ENVIRONMENT

  • Decentralization of waste management: In Vellore, waste is collected in a decentralised manner and composted naturally
  • Bioremediation And Biomining: Uses microorganisms and plants to convert hazardous chemical and biological waste into inert materials
  • Recycling: Convert Waste into useful materials such as making railway sleepers from waste plastics
  • Scientific Capping: Capping Should be done with underground pits that have a good bottom and sideliners to prevent the escape of leachate and gases.
  • Waste-to-energy projects in PPP mode: E.g.: Timarpur Okhla Municipal SWM Project, India’s 1st commercial waste-to-energy facility, converts 1/3rdDelhi garbage into electricity

WAYS FORWARD

  • Kasturirangan Report recommends an Integrated approach Principle of (5Rs) Reduce, Reuse,
    Recover, Recycle and Remanufacture
  • Community awareness & door-to-door collection using Resident Associations and NGOs Centralised processing Facilities: incineration, gasification, pyrolysis
  • Decentralised processing facilities: biomethanation, vermicomposting
  • Common Regional Sanitary Landfill Facility to reduce the land requirement

Though the government plays a significant role in waste management, it should also be the responsibility of every citizen to improve the quality of the environment around him/her. The need of the hour is scientific, sustainable and environment-friendly management of waste.