ENVIRONMENT PROJECT

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN KOLHAPUR, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO KAPIL TIRTH MARKET

INDEX

PART – ONE

a. Introduction

b. Importance

c. Scope & Limitations

d. Objectives

PART – TWO

a. Methodology

b. Hypothesis

c. Theoretical Background

d. Collection of Data

e. Analysis of Data

f. Problems

g. Suggestions

PART – THREE

a. Conclusions

b. Appendix & References

a. Introduction :

With the Globalisation & improved means of Communication, the cities of the world have come close. Development of Small towns into cities and cities into mega cities is going through at a very fast pace. As we all know, development has a price i.e. for reaping the benefits of development one has to bear certain inconvenience.

One such major problem that every developing city or town faces is that of disposal of waste without disturbing the ecology & the environment. Burning of Waste is not a solution of disposing waste as the same results in lot of toxic gases which not only lead to health problem for the living beings but also adds to the threat of global warming.

b. Importance :

Solid waste management is becoming a major public health and environmental concern in urban areas of developing countries. The situation in India particularly in the capital cities is severe. In general solid waste management is given a very low priority and as a result, very limited funds are provided for solid waste management by the government.

The Municipal Corporation of Kolhapur is formally responsible for the management of waste in the city. The prevailing approach has been one of collection and disposal that is, garbage is collected and disposed off at the dumping sites that are currently servicing the city.

However, the most important challenge of Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) lies not in collecting, transporting of waste & keeping the city clean but in the effective management of Solid Waste in such a way that the same does not pose any health problems to the neighbouring areas or adversely affects the environment either directly or indirectly.

c. Scope & Limitations :

Scope :

Management of Waste is a very challenging task for any Municipal body or Corporation as the same has to be done efficiently with a view to reduce pollution & to keep the environment of the city/ town clean. Wastes are of Two Types viz. Solid & Liquid.

Solid Waste is generated domestically by the residents of the city at their houses, Shops & Offices in Commercial Complexes, Shopping Centres/ Malls, Vegetable/ Fruits/ Grains/ Fish/ Mutton & Chicken Markets, Factories in Industrial Areas, Hospitals, School/ Colleges, etc.

The Scope of Study is restricted to the Collection, Transportation of Solid Waste from Kapil Tirth Market in Kolhapur & the disposal of the same at the designated disposal site at Kasba Bavda which is situated at the outskirts of Kolhapur city.

Limitations :

The Study undertaken has following limitations & constraints :

a. Limited Period : The study is limited to the Observations made during the

personal visits made between 28th Dec., 2010 & 30th Dec., 2010 at Kapil

Tirth Market & Kasba Bavda Disposal Site. The working of KMC of just

three days may or may not reflect the real nature of work carried out by

KMC with regard to Solid Waste Management.

b. Limited Data : The data used in this study has been taken from the KMC

officials, public, vendors, etc. No official record from KMC were available

due to shortage of time period . Hence, the conclusions & suggestions of this

study are based on such limited data.

c. Limited Time : This study is conducted within a very short period due to

time constraint. During such limited period the study may not be detailed,

full fledged and all aspects may not have been covered to the fullest extend.

d. Limited Application : This study is exclusively based on the collection, transportation of waste from Kapil Tirth Market only. Hence, the observations made with respect to this site may not reflect a true picture of the overall handling of Solid Waste Management by KMC in Kolhapur City

d. Objectives :

The objectives of the Study of Solid Waste Management in Kolhapur, with Special Reference to Kapil Tirth Market Kolhapur are as follows :

a. To Study the Effectiveness of Waste Collection at the public dust bins near the market.

b. To Study the Process of Segregation of Solid Waste into Wet & Dry Waste.

c. To Study the Efficiency of Transportation of Waste Collected.

d. To Study the Process of Disposal of Solid Waste at the Disposal Site.

Methodology :

For this project following sequence of Methodology was followed :

Collect the various types of information which are necessary for the study of

Solid Waste Management

Collection of data from various sources to study the Solid Waste Management

in Kolhapur

Personal interviews conducted for proper understanding of various issues &

problems,.

Analysis & study of the overall status of Solid Waste Management with respect

to Kapil Tirth Market in Kolhapur

Suggestions based on the observations made during the personal visit to KMC

for improving the effectiveness of Solid Waste Management in Kolhapur.

HYPOTHESIS

1. The Solid Waste Management Programme implemented by KMC is

efficient and adequate.

2. KMC is properly monitoring all activities related Solid Waste Management

3. The Processing & Disposal of Solid Waste is done effectively without

causing any pollution & health hazards.

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Solid waste comprises of unwanted and discarded materials from houses, street sweeping, commercial and industrial operations. Rapid urbanisation, increasing commercial and industrial activities and changing life styles in the cities are observed to be the main reason for the steady increase in the generation of solid waste.

Kolhapur, is a fast emerging city situated on the Mumbai Bangalore National Highway No.4. It is one of the fastest developing city after Pune in the south-western part of Maharashtra. The population of Kolhapur as per 2001 census was 493,167 & is estimated to increase to 5,79,281 in the next ten years. Along with the increase in population and the overall development of the city, the limits of the city have also stretched. The Municipal Corporation thus is under tremendous pressure to cater to the civic needs of all the residents of Kolhapur City.

According to the estimates of the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC), the city generates an estimated 175 to 180 tons of solid waste per day which is about 370 – 380 gms per person. The dry and wet solid wastes are collected from individual houses and public dust-bins and transported to the outskirts of the city limits. The proportion of dry and wet waste generation is approximately 35% and 65%. The dry waste is generated in commercial area while the wet waste is generated in residential area, hotels and food industry.

The process of Solid Waste Management comprises of the following : Collection & Segregation of Municipal Solid Waste Storage of Municipal Solid Waste Transportation of Municipal Solid Waste Processing of Municipal Solid Waste Disposal of Municipal Solid Waste

Sources of Solid Waste:

Domestic Waste:

It is major source of solid waste in the Kolhapur city. There are around 1,10,000 households and 10,447 slums in the city generating domestic waste. The individual householders do not store their garbage in their house premises. They deposit waste in community bins provided by Kolhapur Municipal Corporation on the roadsides. In some areas through external agency household waste is collected by “Ghanta Gadi”. This amount is around 55 MT / day. Road Sweeping:

Road sweeping is also a major source of Solid Waste. It includes dust, papers, plastic and other material. Road sweeping operation is carried out daily on some roads whereas at some places it is done twice or thrice a week. Main roads of Commercial areas as well as thickly populated residential area are swept daily. The lanes and by lanes and scarcely or thinly populated areas are swept twice or thrice a week. It amounts 20 MT / day of total Solid Waste by sweeping of around 650 km of roads of Kolhapur city.

Commercial Waste:

This includes solid waste from stores, shops, hotels, restaurants, markets and office buildings. The main components of waste involve paper, cardboard, plastic, wood, food waste, glass and metals. There is no organized system for shopkeepers to store their waste and usually this waste is added to the domestic waste either through community bins or road sweeping. There are around 11,286 shops and commercial establishments generating 15 MT / day of solid waste. There are 31 small and large markets in the city that generate 20 MT / day of solid waste. Kolhapur Municipal Corporation has constructed open garbage houses inthe markets and the vendors are expected to put their waste vegetables in this garbage house only. Many times in the market the vegetables are thrown by vendors in open, which rot and starts stinking which creates unhealthy atmosphere in the market. There are around 1053 restaurants, hotels and eating places in the city generating 10 MT / day of solid waste.Kolhapur Municipal vehicles collect this waste from these hotel and restaurants whereas small eateries are putting their wastes in the common bins.

Industrial Waste:

a. Small Industrial Unit Waste

Shivaji Udyamnagar, Y. P. Pawar Nagar, Jawahar Nagar are small industrial areas located in the heart of city generating 10 MT / day of solid waste. Variety of industrial jobs such as welding, casting, forging, etc are done in this area. The waste in the form of metal scraps, unwanted metal, oil, grease, foundry sand, plastic parts which normally partially placed out side the industry. Mainly rag pickers collect plastic and metal scrap for recycling whereas other material is placed in community bins.

b. Demolition waste :

Another important industry generating solid waste is construction industry. The waste stone, tiles, soil, and other demolition waste material is thrown on roads amounting around 10 MT / day, adds to total solid waste generated in the Kolhapur city. This construction waste should not be mixed with Municipal Solid Waste and can be used for land fills.

Garden and Park Waste:

There are around 59 gardens and parks in the city generating solid waste mostly in the form of dry leaves, grass cuttings etc. Many private gardens of educational institutes, public places, government offices, bungalows and households burn dry leaves adding to air pollution. Instead of burning this garden waste, it can be used for vermin composting in the gardens. This will minimize the waste generated as well as be useful as good fertilizer.

Other Solid Waste: There are many items disposed by people such as batteries from radios, flash lights and cameras, button cells, car batteries, oil filters, empty cans of aerosol, bleaches, pesticides, foam and thermocol packings, thermometers and mercury containing products, E-waste including cassettes, computer discs, printer parts, cartridge, electronic printed circuit boards and other electronic parts of radio, tape recorder, mobiles, TV’s and computers.

As Kolhapur is a city surrounded with agricultural fields whose products are brought in to the vegetable markets of the city and then wastes are dumped either in garbage bins or disposed on roads. There are many stables of cows, buffaloes and horses containing around 16,181 animals in it. Even though cow dung is used for variety of purposes like composting,burning, the remaining waste contributes to the total Municipal Solid Waste of the city.

Waste Segregation:

Biodegradable solid waste includes domestic waste of all kinds including vegetable waste, egg shells, bones, hairs , flower and fruit including peels, sanitary napkins, soiled papers, disposable daipers, plant waste, waste from slaughter house, meat and fish market, fruit and vegetable market, etc. The dry or recyclable solid waste includes paper, plastic and containers of all types, glass of all types, metals of all kinds, rubber, wood, wrappings and discarded material like equipments, furniture and clothes.

At some places the KMC has provided two separate dust bins viz. for dry waste or wet waste & bio degradable or non bio degradable waste for segregation of waste at the time of collection of waste itself. .

Storage of Waste:

At many sites Municipal Corporation has made provision for temporary storage of solid waste. In vegetable markets open garbage houses are made available to vegetable vendors, Similarly dust bins are provided at corners of streets & in by lanes of important commercial / residential junctions. The number of dust bins provided by KMC for storage of waste are 1688 including 937 RCC circular bins, 245 RCC rectangular bins, 22 dumpers, 20 RCC containers and 4 heaps.

Collection & Transportation of Waste : Kolhapur Municipal Corporation has given a contract of collection and transportation of solid waste from city to Private Company from 14th February, 2008. The Door to door collection by ‘Ghanta Gadi’ is carried out by the said private company from 06.00 am to 02.00 pm. The job of collection of solid waste is done by 1565 sweepers and supportive staff. There are 22 collection & transportation vehicles containing 12 trucks, 6 tippers, 2 tractors, 2 dumper placers and 6 refuse collectors. The daily collection & transportation of solid wastes from point of collection / storage to the final disposal site is done by these vehicles.

Processing & Disposal of Waste :

Segregating & Processing of Waste into Bio fertiliser

KMC has engaged a private company for processing & segregating biodegradable solid waste and using it for making bio fertilizers. This activity is carried out in 40,000 sq. mtrs area near Kasba Bavda by a private company to whom the KMC has given contract.

Vermicompost Vermicompost pits are maintained by Kolhapur Municipal Corporation at three places viz. Rajendra Nagar, Salokhe Park and Nagala Park area. Solid waste – mainly the domestic waste generated from the local area is used for vermin composting. These units are run by local organization of women on co-operative basis. This vermicompost mainly utilizes domestic waste. This compost is sold on trial basis by women cooperative societies.

Land fill -

The non recyclable solid waste is sent for land fill site at Top - Sambhapur 12 km away from Kolhapur where a quarry is filled by this waste. A 16.67 hectors of land at Halsawade is allotted for sanitary land filling, however this land is under dispute and stay has been given by Hon’ble High Court.

Collection of Data :

Data collection is a very important step in any project and success of any project

largely depends upon the accuracy of data collection. Proper analysis cannot be

done without gathering relevant data to carry out the research work accurately.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION -

Primary data

Primary data i.e. data which is collected fresh or for the first time for the sake of

study. For the purpose of this study primary data was collected by conducting

personal interviews with various shopkeepers, vegetable / fruit vendors, buyers at

the Kapil Tirth Market, Sweepers, Drivers of Waste Transporters & Supervisory

Staff of KMC, etc

Secondary data

The Secondary data in the form of reports & publications available at KMC office,

books, articles in newspapers/ Internet, etc as were necessary for the study.

This project is based on the primary data collected through personal interview of

various people at the Kapil Tirth Market as well as at the KMC office. However,

this primary data collection has its own limitations like its correctness &

completeness, hence the information collected through secondary source was also

analysed for the study of solid waste management in Kolhapur with special

reference to Kapil Tirth Market.

Analysis of Data :

Kapil Tirth Market is one oldest & biggest vegetable market in Kolhapur. This market is located in the heart of the city & very close to the famous Mahalaxmi Temple.

This market is always full of people - i.e Large no. of Vegetable & Fruit Vendors & buyers visit the market & at evening times the market is over crowded. With such large of people assembling at the market, it is but natural that equally large amount of garbage & waste generated at such a large market place. Waste in the form of left overs of discarded vegetables/ fruits, damaged / spoiled packing boxes/sheets, waste paper, plastic, empty packets of gutka/ cigarette / beedi, etc are generally seen lying in huge quantity in & around the waste bin, as well as all over the market. Normally, the vegetable & fruit vendors & shop keepers clean their own area at the start of the day, however towards the end of the day, except a few persons generally all the sellers are in hurry to pack their things & to go home, in which most of the waste gathered around them remains uncleaned.

The KMC has installed around four dustbins in the vicinity of Kapil Tirth Market for gathering & storage of waste generated at the market. Although separate dust bins for wet & dry waste are provided by KMC, no strict implementation regarding

the specific use of these dust bins is being done due to lack of awareness among the people. Further, KMC also has deployed 6 sweepers in this area for sweeping & cleaning of market as well as the surrounding lanes & streets near the market with one supervisory staff for checking & inspection.

The daily average waste collected at this market is around 1 MT which is transported by trucks twice in the day – once in the morning between 7.00 am to 7.30 am & second time around 2.30 pm to 3.00 pm. The waste collected from the market is transported to the Kasaba Bavda disposal site which is around 5 to 6 kms from Kapil Tirth Market.

At the Kasba Bawda Disposal site, the work of segregation & processing is being done by the staff of private contractor hired by KMC. The private contractor has also set up a plant here, in an area of 40,000 sq. m. which has a self contained infrastructural facility required for production of organic fertilizers, having the necessary active microbial nutrients required for enriching the soil and increasing sustainable crop production. The organic fertilizers produced by the private contractor are marketed under the brand name of “Hareet Karveer” and “Bio – Zoom”.

While , the non recyclable solid waste is sent for land fill site at Top - Sambhapur 12 km away from Kolhapur where a quarry is being filled by this waste.

Problems :

During our visit to Kapil Tirth Market, from the observations made by us & based on the discussions & personal interview of various people, following problems were noticed by us :

a. There is no regularity in collection & transportation of waste due to which the waste near the market which generally consists of leftover discarded vegetables / fruits start decaying spreading bad odour all around the place & also attracting lot of rats, flies, insects, birds, etc.

b. There is a lack of awareness among the people regarding segregation of dry / wet waste & also of bio degradable / non bio degradable waste.

c. Rag pickers normally gather around the dustbin at late evenings/ early morning to pick up plastic, paper, scrap metal, etc while beggars search for leftover & discarded fruits, vegetables or any other eatables, etc due to which dust bins are disturbed , due to which the waste gets scattered outside the dust bin.

d. Many a times, people throw waste near the dustbin instead of putting it into the dust bin, as result of which waste is seen lying on the road, around the dust bins.

e. At times, the smaller dustbins are seen overflowing with waste due to which the excess waste is seen falling around the dustbins.

Suggestions :

a. Strict time table should be prepared & followed for regular collection & transportation of waste from the dust bins near the Kapil Tirth market, so that there is no decay of left over vegetables/ fruits. Further, if possible dust bins near such market places should have cover so that the dirty smell from the rotten fruits/ vegetables, etc can be reduced.

b. KMC should take up a programme of creating awareness among the people about the importance of segregating dry / wet waste & also bio degradable / non bio degradable waste by issuing advertisements in the newspaper/local cable TV/ film theatres in city & also slide shows in schools, colleges, etc

c. Rag pickers who actually disturb waste dust bins for picking up useful recyclable material for selling the same & making some money can help KMC if they are properly trained into sorting & segregating the waste collected in the dust bins. These trained rag pickers may be issued a license with a specific area for sorting, segregating & collecting useful recyclable material from these waste dust bins, without scattering the waste out of dustbin, this will save lot of efforts, money & time of KMC.

d. Alongwith educating the people of strictly using waste dust bins a fine of Rs.10/- should be imposed on all persons who throw waste outside the waste dustbin. This will not only help in keeping the city neat & clean as the waste shall not be thrown on roads but shall also generate revenue for KMC.

e. Supervisors of KMC should immediately report problems related to smaller size of dustbins/ damaged dust bins in their area which are constantly overflowing due to collection & storage of more waste than its size. Based on the report of the supervisor, KMC should take action of replacing a suitable size dust bin from which waste shall not over flow.

CONCLUSIONS :

The Kolhapur Municpal Corporation is fully aware about the problems related to Solid Waste Management & is equally concerned about the health of the citizens of the City. KMC has already shown its determination of upgrading its solid waste management system, for the city by implementing a waste composting project using private sector participation. KMC also has also acquired 16.67 hectors of land at Halsawade for land filling.

Further, for the daily backlog of almost 60 MT of waste that is generated everyday due to collection & transportation of around 120 MT of waste as against the 180 MT of waste collected & stored daily, KMC is planning to deploy additional trucks of tippers into service.

Looking at the City Development Plan for Kolhapur City with the horizon year of 2031 which was prepared under the then Municipal Commissoner of Kolhapur Shri Kunal Kumar, it appears that KMC is fully gearing up itself to meet all the challenges of civic issues related to Kolhapur City including Solid Waste Management.

We sincerely hope that the planning made is properly & timely implemented by KMC and all citizens of Kolhapur city should also willing & whole heartly extend their active participation so that we can live in nice Clean, Green & Pollution Free City of Kolhapur !!!

APPENDIX & REFERENCES

a. Understanding of our Civic Issues - published by The Bombay Community Public Trust

b. City Development Plan of Kolhapur City, 2031c. Management of Municipal Solid Waste – Dr. Nita Mukherjeed. Environmental Status Report – Kolhapur Municipal Corporation