Solid Waste Management | Necessity of Solid Waste Management

Solid Waste management is a term that is used to refer to the process of collecting and treating solid wastes.

The solid waste management is an important parameter of environmental hygiene and must be integrated with the total environmental planning.

The solid waste management includes proper collection of refuse, its transportation and subsequent disposal with minimum possible risk to public health and environment.

Necessity of Solid Waste Management

1. Breading fly and other insect

Inadequate arrangements in refuse handling creates fly breeding, mosquitoes breading, breeding of other insects and rat breeding which ultimately cause deceases like diarrhoea, typhoid, bacillary and amoebic dysentery, plague, rat bite fever, etc.

2. Fire hazard

Fire hazard exist with objectionable practice of open dumping and disposal hot ash on the dumps.

3. Odour problem

When the refuse remains at any place for a longer period then the decomposition of various matters present in the refuse takes place. This creates odour nuisance and hygiene hazard.

4. Environmental degradation

Inadequate arrangement in refuse handling is also cause refuse to be scattered with birds, stray dogs, cattle and other animals gaining free access. This result in making the surrounding area looks likely unsightly, which ultimately degrading the entire environment.

5. Air pollution

Refuse burning in open dump or incinerators, release dense smoke into the surrounding atmosphere with toxic gases and fly ash, hence causing air pollution. Gases of decomposition also create air pollution.

6. Water pollution

During rainy season, the water passes over open dump refuse to the surface water or percolates through open dump refuse and meets to the underground water. Hence there is pollution of both, surface source and underground source.

7. Soil pollution

The properties of soil under refuse dump changes considerably. It is observed that the pH of soil turns to alkaline with increased concentration of water-soluble salts. Also organic carbon, sodium, available nutrients, and heavy metals increased substantially. It is also observed that the yield of the crops is also decreased.