Accumulation of Wastes

Accumulation of wastes due to its improper disposal is a major problem in our country. The recent Surat plague epidemic is an indication. Population in India has been growing at the rate of 1.7%. With this increase, there has also been an increase in the amount of wastes being produced especially in the cities. Every person, on an average generates about 400 to 500 grams of wastes per day. At this rate, in a city of about 10 lakh people around 500 tonnes of wastes is being produced every day.

In the absence of proper solid waste management, this waste lies littered on our streets, road corners and improperly disposed of in vacant land. All of these are serious health hazards apart from being eyesores. If they are not cleared regularly at the earliest, they invite host of problems like increasing numbers of insect vectors like flies, mosquitoes, etc., scavengers such as stray dogs, pigs and rats which spread dangerous diseases. It also generates bad odour and causes pollution.

Classification of Wastes

The wastes include kitchen waste, papers, construction materials, old tyres, medical wastes, etc. In order to understand the severity of the problem and to work towards a solution, one must understand the types of wastes being generated.

The Wastes can be Classified into:

• Biodegradable

• Non-biodegradable

Biodegradable

The biodegradable wastes are those that can be decomposed by the natural processes and converted into the elemental form. For example, kitchen garbage, animal dung, etc.

Non-biodegradable

The non-biodegradable wastes are those that cannot be decomposed and remain as such in the environment. They are persistent and can cause various problems. For example, plastics, nuclear wastes, glass, etc.

Sources

Some of the most common sources of wastes are as follows:

• Domestic wastes

• Commercial wastes

• Ashes

• Animal wastes

• Biomedical wastes

• Construction wastes

• Industrial Solid Wastes

• Sewer

Domestic Wastes

It includes the wastes generated in houses. It includes paper, plastic, glass, ceramics, polythene, textiles, vegetable waste, etc.

Commercial Wastes

It includes the waste generated in commercial establishments like shops, printers, offices, godowns, etc. It includes packing materials, spoiled goods, vegetable and meat remnants, polythene, printer paper, etc.

Ashes

They come from the burning of solid fossil fuels like coal, wood and coke. Many houses and road side eateries still use these fuels. Open burning of wastes also generates ashes.

Animal Wastes

It includes the dung of the animals that are left to find food for themselves on the streets. For example, cattle. Their reject feed also add to the wastes.

Biomedical Wastes

These wastes are generated from the hospitals and include expired drugs, plastic syringes, surgical dressings, etc. They can be very infectious.

Construction Wastes

With booming population, there is also booming construction activity going on in the urban areas. They also generate garbage like metal rods, bricks, cement, concrete, roofing materials, etc. This type of wastes is also generated by the digging activites of the various departments like the telephone, electricity, drainage, etc.

Industrial Solid Wastes

Small-scale industries generate some wastes. For example, garment factory would dump textiles of various kinds.

Sewer

The sewer removed from the sewerage during cleaning is often left on the roadside. This poses several health hazards to the public.

Some of these wastes are also classified as hazardous wastes. Hazardous wastes are those that are potentially dangerous and can cause diseases, fire, etc. The hazardous wastes include toxic wastes. Toxic wastes are those that are poisonous in nature. Hazardous wastes are those that catch fire easily, react explosively with air or water, corrodes other materials, are toxic or radioactive. The radioactive wastes are particularly dangerous as they cause lasting damage such as change in the genetic structure of individuals (mutation).