Better waste management can improve environment and mitigate environmental pollution

Abstract

Waste management is one of the biggest challenges for the civic bodies. About Rs. 4.7 crores is being spent everybody to manage garbage in Delhi alone but result is yet not satisfactory. ‘Dry Wastes’ generated every day in houses and establishments are includes Wood, Clothes, Plastic, Papers, Metals etc. whereas ‘wet waste’ includes kitchen wastes such as vegetable, fruits peels, tea leaves, coffee grounds, bones, fish scales etc. National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed to enforce segregation of waste at source. But due to contractors-official nexus, most of the wastes are being sent to the dumping ground. Waste management at home is now necessary. Plastic packets containing any food should wash properly and dried before placing into dry waste container, dry waste and wet waste should be kept separately. Wet waste can be used for composting in a process by which dry waste is converted in to compost to be used for kitchen garden. The contribution of rag pickers is significant in the field. Nearly 20% of wastes are regulated by rage pickers. About 3000 tonnes of waste are being segregated and recycled by rag-picker in Delhi alone reducing cost of transportation and saving environment. Bio-medical waste coming out of hospitals and nursing homes are also major threat to environment. There must be adequate measures for disposal and recycling of wastes.