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Rural Solid Waste Management: Issues and Action

Article · May 2012

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Pravash Chandra Moharana

National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning
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 Rural Solid Waste Management:
Issues and Action
Pravash Chandra Moharana

On the basis of crop production levels it is estimated that ten major crops (rice, wheat,
sorghum, pearl millet, barley, finger millet, sugarcane, potato tubers and pluses) of India
generate about 312.5 Mt of crop residues that have nutrient potential of about 6.46 Mt of
plant nutrient

M
odern world functions as a “throw uncontrolled manner these may cause adverse
away” society. The reduce, re-use, impact on public health and environment. Hence
re-cycle slogan remains a mere these wastes need to be managed efficiently so
rhetoric in a world that generates approximately as to safeguard public health and environment.
450 million tonnes of waste annually. With the In order to improve the quality of life of the rural
emerging concern on large quantity of the waste population, environmental sanitation needs to
being produced both in the form of solid and be improved. The time has now come to move
liquid waste, the concept of waste management onward, to garner the benefits of other aspects
becomes one of the key focus of sustainable of environmental cleanliness, and use the present
development principles which is based on policies momentum to achieve important milestones
and practices. The quantities of solid wastes are in a “Sanitation Plus” drive to holistic waste
increasing and if the wastes are disposed in an management in every village.

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 Solid waste generation in Rural areas of l Pollutionof rivers and streams with
India consequent contamination of potable water
supply downstream.
In India especially in the rural areas, waste
Objectives of Waste Management in Rural Areas
is a severe threat to the public health concern
l Toprotect human health and improve quality
and cleanliness. Though, the form of waste
(both solid and liquid) generated in rural areas of life among people living in rural areas
is predominantly organic and biodegradable yet l Toreduce environment pollution and make
it has become a major problem to the overall rural areas clean
sustainability of the ecological balance. It is l Topromote recycling and reuse of solid
estimated that rural people in India are generating waste
solid waste (organic/recyclable) 0.3 to 0.4 million l Toconvert bio waste into organic manure
metric tons per day respectively. On the basis of which is nutrient source of agricultural and
crop production levels it is estimated that ten horticultural crop
major crops (rice, wheat, sorghum, pearl millet, l To generate employment for rural poor
barley, finger millet, sugarcane, potato tubers and by offering new opportunities in waste
pluses) of India generate about 312.5 Mt of crop management by adopting cost effective and
residues that have nutrient potential of about environmentally sound solid waste treatment
6.46 Mt of plant nutrient. India produces around technologies
33 million tonnes of fruits and 50 million tonnes
of vegetables annually. It is estimated that roughly Types of Solid Waste
10 to 15% of total produce is available either as Solid waste can also be defined as the
residues or bio-degradable wastes for recycling in organic and inorganic waste materials produced
agriculture. The total dung production estimated by households, agricultural farm that have no
to be 450 Mt including the dung available in Union economic value to the owner. Solid waste in rural
Territories. Recently, the wastes that are not rotten areas generally includes-house sweeping, kitchen
easily, such as bottles, cans, plastics and polythene waste, garden waste, cattle dung and waste from
are increasing gradually in rural area which create cattle sheds, agricultural wastes, broken glass,
big problem to manage them. metal, waste paper, plastic, cloths, rubber, waste
from markets and shopping areas etc.
Impact on Rural Health
As per biodegradability, solid waste can be
l Insect/mosquito breeding in stagnant water
classified as:
pools on waste sites and in canals and
waterways blocked or constricted with waste Biodegradable: Waste that are completely
resulting in the spread of disease decomposed by biological processes either
l There are significant health risks due to in presence or in absence of air are called
the existence of vermin, insects, flies and biodegradable e.g. kitchen waste, animal dung,
scavenging animals particularly to workers agricultural waste etc.
and neighbouring residents. Non-biodegradable: Waste which cannot be
l Nuisance caused to the neighbourhood due decomposed by biological processes is called non-
to odour and flies biodegradable waste. These are of two types: i)

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Recyclable: Wastes having economic values but l Household level treatment of bio degradable
destined for disposal can be recovered and reused waste
along with their energy value e.g. plastic, paper, l Collection and transportation of segregated
old cloth etc. ii) Non-recyclable: Waste which do waste at the household level to a place
not have economic value of recovery e.g. tetra identified at the community level (in cases
packs, carbon paper, thermo coal etc. where household level treatment is not
possible)
Approaches for Solid Waste
l Community level treatment or recycling/
Management
reuse of waste
The solid waste management is the collection, l Allthe biodegradable waste should be
transport, processing, recycling or disposal of composted at the community level
waste materials, usually ones produced by human
l Non biodegradable waste may be further
activity, in an effort to reduce their effect on human
segregated and sold or recycled
health or local aesthetics or amenity. For effective
l Waste which cannot be composted, reused
management of solid waste in rural areas, focus
or recycled may be disposed at the landfill
should be on management at household level.
sites following appropriate procedure, (such
That which cannot be managed at household
waste may usually be construction waste,
level should be managed at the community level.
debris etc).
In general, the following approach should be
followed: Composting as Technology option for
l Segregation of solid waste at the household Treatment of Biodegradable Waste
level (Biodegradable and non biodegradable) Composting is one of the options for
l Reuseof non biodegradable waste at the treatment of organic waste. In composting process
household level to the extent possible the organic matter breaks down under bacterial
action resulting in the
formation of humus
like material called
compost. The value
of compost as manure
depends on the
quantity and quality
of feed materials
poured into the
compost pit. Manure
from composting
gives better yield to
farmers and it is also
environment friendly.
Bio degradable
solid waste can be
composted either in

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 ii) Heap method
During rainy seasons or in
regions with heavy rainfall the
compost may be prepared in heaps
above ground. The heap should be
about 2 m wide at the base, 1.5 m
high and 2 m long. The sides are
tapered so that the top is about 0.5
m narrower in width than the base. A
small bund is sometimes built around
the pile to protect it from wind which
tends to dry the heap. The heap is
usually commenced with a 20 cm
layer of carbonaceous material such
as leaves, hay-straw, sawdust, wood
compost pit or in a vermicompost pit. Various
chips and chopped corn stalks. This is then covered
composting methods which are suitable to rural
with the 10 cm of nitrogenous material such
areas, are described below.
as fresh grass, weeds or garden plant residues,
i) Pit method garbage, fresh or dry manure. The pattern of 20
cm carbonaceous material and 10 cm nitrogenous
The site selected for the compost pit should
material is followed until the pile is 1.5 m high and
be near to cattle shed and water source at
they are normally wetted so that they feel damp
high level so that no rain water gets in during
but not soggy. The pile is sometimes covered
the monsoon season. A temporary shed may
with soil or hay to retain heat and is turned at 6
be constructed over it to protect the compost
and 12-weeks-interval. Shredding the material
from heavy rainfall. The pit should be about
speeds up decomposition considerably. Organic
1 m deep, 1.5-2.0 m wide and of any suitable
wastes materials can be shredded by running
length. The material brought from the cattle shed
over it several times with a rotary-mower. When
is spread and on each layer is spread slurry of
sufficient nitrogenous material is not available a
dung made with 4.5 kg urine earth and 4.5 kg of green manure or leguminous crop like sunnhemp
inoculums taken from a 15-day-old composting is grown on the fermenting heap by sowing seeds
pit. A sufficient quantity of water (nearly 90%) is after the first turning. The green mater is then
sprinkled over the material in the pit to the wet turned in at the second mixing. The process takes
it. The pit is filled in this way layer-by-layer and about four months to complete.
it should not take longer than 1 week to fill. Care
iii) Vermicomposting
should be taken to avoid compacting the material
in any way. The material is turned 3 times during Vermicomposting is a method of preparing
the whole period of composting (i) after 15 days compost with the use of earthworms. Decomposable
from filling the pit, (ii) another 15 days , (iii) after organic wastes such as animal excreta, kitchen waste,
another 30 days. At each turning the material farm residues and forest litter are commonly used
is mixed thoroughly, moistened with water and as composting materials. In general, animal dung
replaced with the pit. mostly cow dung and dried chopped crop residues

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 are the key raw materials. Mixture of leguminous and should segregate these wastes at household
non-leguminous crop residues enriches the quality level. Segregated plastic waste need to be packed
of vermicompost. Different species of earthworms and stored in a safe place and sell to the local
viz. Eisenia foetida (Red earthworm), Eudrilus recyclers.
eugeniae (night crawler), Perionyx excavatus etc
are used in vermicomposting. Eisenia foetida (Red
Landfill
earthworm) is mostly preferred because of its high In spite of composting, re-use and recycling,
multiplication rate and thereby converts the organic some waste remains untreated/unmanaged which
matter into vermicompost within 45-50 days. requires final disposal, either by incineration or
by land filling. Incineration is a technology where
Reuse and Recycling of Non- waste is burnt in a specially engineered machine
Biodegradable Solid Waste called incinerator. Incineration is not simply
As explained earlier, efforts should be made burning, but complete combustion. Incinerators are
to segregate the non-biodegradable solid waste considered to be causes of air pollution. This is not
into two portions namely a) recyclable and (b) non a viable option for waste management. A landfill
recyclable at household as well as community level. is a properly designated area and used for the
Sorting out or segregation of paper, plastic, cloth, disposal of non-biodegradable and non-recyclable
metal, glass etc may be done at the community inorganic solid waste. Landfill is considered to
level by the women self helps groups. Segregated be a viable option. The non-recyclable inorganic
waste need to be packed and stored in a safe place. waste could be disposed by secured land filling
operation.
The recyclable segregated wastes sell to the local
recyclers when enough quantities accumulate. Conclusion
i) Recycling of Papers The rural India has tremendous wealth in
It is possible to convert waste paper into terms of underutilized crop residues, animal
useful recyclable product. Making pulp from waste excretion and domestic refuge normally known as
paper is an old art. The process has now been waste. A systematic management and utilization
refined. Various articles including showpieces may approach applying the recent innovations will
be made using the pulp. The articles are so sturdy only help in maintaining rural areas clean but will
that they can be an alternative to wood to some also provide sufficient energy, manure and raw
material for many industries. The sustainable waste
extent. Hence it is also called Pep wood.
management technologies have brought about
ii) Recycling of Plastics a positive change in the sanitation and hygiene
behavioural changes in the rural people. But, we
In all types of solid waste in rural areas,
have a long way to go before we can attain a level
plastics have become a major cause of concern due
of maturity in the areas of waste management in
to: i) Non-biodegradability and Nuisance value in
the rural areas.
waste stream and blockage of drainage channels
ii) Pollution of surface water iii) Random burning [The author is Ph.D. Scholar, Division of
here and there causing air pollution problem Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Indian
and iv) There is no proper collection or disposal Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-
system of plastic waste. Individual house owner 110012. email: [email protected] ]

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