A glimpse into the waste management system of Pune (Part I)

Waste management refers to the various schemes to manage and disposal of waste. It comprises collection, segregation and disposal. The prime objective of waste management is to dispose of unusable materials to avert potential environmental and health crises.

Efficient collection of waste is a crucial step towards waste management. It is the collective responsibility of the government, local organisations and of course, us individuals! The PMC has set up an intricate system of waste collection, consisting of door-to-door collection through SWaCH, gate collection from households by Ghantagaadi, community bin collection by dumper placers and collection from chronic spots.

The waste is also segregated during collection. Waste can be segregated into at least six types; apart from plastic, garden waste, e-waste, sanitary waste and biomedical waste, there is construction and demolition waste, which is not frequently heard of. Segregation of waste can convert trash, generally considered a useless entity into a potential resource for multiple industries.

One of the major issues faced in this process, is inadequacy in daily doorstep collection. For instance, not even a half of slum properties are currently serviced by door to door collection systems. A lot of regulations have been enforced regarding waste segregation at source but local bodies have failed to achieve the necessary targets. For successful implementation of this practice, citizen's responsibility towards segregation and their coordination with governing bodies is also required.

Currently, in Pune, waste is segregated in two sections. However, it can be segregated into many more sections at the source itself. For instance, dry waste should be divided into metal, plastic, and glass waste. The segregation-at-source automatically reduces the effort and unpleasantness faced at a later stage in the process. It ensures easier disposal and simplifies the waste management process. Sanitation workers would find their job, an essential service, more pleasant and easy.

How is the collected waste processed? There’s biomethanation i.e. conversion of organic waste to methane it’s used to generate energy and as vehicle fuel! Some of the waste is combusted - via incineration or pyrolysis. Then there’s landfill gas recovery, the process by which methane is collected from solid waste in a landfill.

These processes require advanced technologies and infrastructure for effective implementation. In Pune, there are limited decentralized recycling and treatment facilities. To maximise treatment capacity, adequate land is required. Plots of land with no residential complexes in their vicinity are preferred. Pune has a number of waste processing plants; but only one-thirds of them are used at their full capacity. This results in accumulation of waste in landfills. This burdens the local government bodies with financial stress.

This accumulation of waste has caused degeneration of the landscape, water and soil pollution, and health hazards to residents and waste pickers of nearby areas. These include infections, communicable diseases, chemical burns, inhalation of toxic gases and animal bites. You must have heard of people’s protests against garbage-dumping in Uruli Devachi. Additionally, there is no high-outreach program in Pune for public awareness to reduce domestic or commercial waste at the source. It does sound disappointing; but can we as individuals team up with the government to tackle this challenge and protect our environment? Yes, we definitely can!

Find out how in our upcoming article! :)