GULBARGA: An expert committee constituted by the Department of the Forests, Ecology and Environment to study the impact of solid waste on the ecology, environment and health has come out with several recommendations and suggested the need to integrate a resource recovery component into the current system of waste management.

Report

Official sources told The Hindu here that the expert committee said in its report that waste generated every day should be considered as a resource and it should be converted into a reusable medium rather than merely be disposed of.

Emphasis should also be on implementing clean production and waste-reducing technologies, sources said.

The report said that in order to promote recycling of solid waste, there is a need to create a market for repurchase of waste products at a price based on market conditions. This can be achieved by adopting a buy-back system under which waste-producing products should carry a "label of guarantee of prefixed refund".

Segregation

Another recommendation was the segregation of waste at the source into biodegradable, recyclable and hazardous substances, and that vehicles transporting waste should have segregated spaces for each kind of waste. Referring to the practice of burning of municipal solid waste at roadsides and dump sites, the report said it has a significant impact on air quality as the waste sometimes contains aluminium foils, metallic scrap, and domestic hazardous substances.

The burnt materials emit highly toxic fumes containing organo-chlorides, suspended and respirable particulate matter, dioxins and sulphur, which can cause respiratory disorders and angiosarcoma among people.

Changing lifestyles have also contributed to an increase in the waste generated in towns and cities. The drastic shift in consumption patterns and increase in the use of disposables have resulted in higher generation of waste. The existing infrastructure for waste collection, treatment and disposal has not kept pace with the growth in population and economic development.

Plastic waste

Sources pointed out that the generation of large amounts of plastic waste is turning out to be an insurmountable problem for the civic authorities.

The report points out that unscientific disposal of plastic waste can lead to environmental problems. Plastic reduces the decomposing ability by decreasing water permeability and air circulation. Plastics poses unique problems in waste management due to the time required for its degradation.

In Karnataka, there are around 3,000 plastic industries producing more than 600 tonnes of plastic a day and generating plastic wastes of 28 tonnes a day. There is a 5 per cent growth in waste generated in the State each year, and the projected municipal solid waste generation by 2011 is around 7,325 tonnes a day.

The generation of recyclable waste in the State is expected to increase by 10 per cent by 2010.

The committee has recommended that the Government amend the Karnataka Municipalities Act, the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act and the Panchayat Raj Act to make it mandatory on the part of these local bodies to take up scientific management of solid waste.

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