Contribution of Improper Waste Management to Air Pollution: A Case Study
— Madhusmita Rawooth, Ashraf Nehal, Sctulip, Hiya Ghosh
Introduction
Long-term exposure to outdoor and household air pollution contributed to over 1.67 million deaths from stroke, heart attack, diabetes, lung cancer, chronic lung diseases, and neonatal diseases in India in 2019, according to the State of Global Air 2020 by the US-based Health Effects Institute. However, the contribution of improper waste management to poor air quality is seldom talked about. In a country where landfills as tall as skyscrapers are being used for the disposal of untreated mixed waste, it becomes imperative to shed light on the dangers that solid waste can pose to air quality and human health.
Nearly everything we do leaves behind some kind of waste. “Solid waste” is any garbage or refuse sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility, and other discarded material including solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous material, resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operations, and from domestic and community activities. It is less commonly known that solid waste is toxic and contains a greater variety of pathogenic microorganisms than sewage.
Rapidly developing cities, increasing population, and improper disposal of solid waste leads to catastrophic human and environmental problems. The emission of various harmful inorganic and organic gaseous pollutants is unavoidable even when scientific methods of waste management are followed. Solid waste creates many noxious gases such as suspended Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), oxides of Nitrogen (NOX), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM), and Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM). The dust released from these sources produces a group of diseases ranging from a simple cold to fatal cancer. A high concentration of particulate matter also causes acute and chronic respiratory disorders and lung damage in humans.
The following case studies discuss in detail how the problem of waste management continues to be neglected in two of the mega-cities in India which rank 9th (Delhi) and 10th (Kolkata) in the world in terms of poor air quality.
Delhi
The air quality of Delhi has been worsening at an alarming rate. According to a report by the Lancet Planetary Health, the per capita economic loss due to air pollution in India (because of lost output from premature deaths and morbidity) was the highest in Delhi ($62.0). Additionally, poor air quality in Delhi irreversibly damages the lungs of about 2.2 million or 50 percent of all children living in the region. The primary identified causes of Delhi’s air pollution, which has been estimated to have killed 54,000 people in 2020 alone, include the combustion of petrol, diesel, and coal (50%), biomass burning (20%), industrial emissions (20%), and the rest being dust deposits. Concerns over Delhi’s air quality usually focus only on the burning of farm waste (stubble burning), which according to a recent report by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), contributes to only 16% of the problem. When there is so much to blame, the role of waste management systems in Delhi’s alarmingly high pollution levels is often overlooked.
On average, Delhi generates about 15,750 tonnes of waste/day (@0.68 kg per capita per day). Most of this unsegregated waste either ends up in landfills or in one of the three waste-to-energy plants in the NCR region. A report by the CPCB submitted to the National Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court of India revealed that dioxins, furans, and PM 2.5 were among the chief pollutants being released beyond permissible limits by the waste-to-energy plants in Ghazipur, Okhla, and Bawana. WHO estimates that the inhalation of PM 2.5 causes more than 4 million premature deaths globally every year. Dioxins and furans, both products of low-temperature combustion of unsegregated waste, are some of the most toxic substances known. The waste being burnt in these plants is unsuitable for burning and beats their whole purpose by ending up in landfills again as fly ash and bottom ash.
Out of the 24 landfill sites in Delhi, 16 are already filled up and three of them, in Bhalaswa, Okhla, and Ghazipur, have gone beyond their limits. Fire outbreaks, dangerous levels of methane discharge, landfill slides, and human-right violations of the waste-pickers, scrap-dealers, and residents of these areas are common occurrences.
An effective way out of Delhi’s ever-increasing waste problem is the implementation of stricter by-laws and their successful implementation. This has to be aided by the collective action of the government, private players, civic organizations, and NGOs to ensure end-to-end segregation, collection, and proper processing of waste. The huge informal waste management sector in Delhi also needs to be integrated into the government’s plans to achieve efficiency and provide dignified livelihoods to the waste-pickers.
Kolkata
January 2021 was one of the worst months for Kolkata in terms of air quality. The city saw a 100% increase in ‘very poor’ days (AQI range 300–400) compared to January last year. In contrast, a 100% drop was observed in the number of ‘moderate’ days (AQI range 101–200). It is no surprise that air pollution in Kolkata has been increasing at an alarming rate. In a recent move, doctors’ forums across West Bengal wrote to the Chief Minister calling the state of air pollution a health emergency and asking for urgent measures to be taken. Amidst rising concerns over the city’s air quality, little is being done to curb improper waste disposal, which stands to be a big contributor to the air pollution levels.
In November 2020, fumes from the infamous landfill in Dhapa exposed thousands of Kolkatans to extremely toxic air capable of causing severe health problems. The huge garbage dump in Dhapa, which is Kolkata’s largest, contains tonnes of plastics, polythene, rubber, and other forms of organic and inorganic waste, which when ignited send dangerous amounts of toxic particulate matter and methane into the lower atmosphere. These small particles can penetrate into the lungs and cause cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, asthma, and bronchitis, and can even lead to impaired brain development in children.
The Baranagar dumping ground, which receives more than 500 tonnes of waste from Dum Dum, North and South Dum Dum, and Baranagar, has a similar story to tell. Residents living nearby have been complaining of the stench and rising cases of cancer in the locality. Adding insult to injury, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation is looking for newer dumping grounds, now that the existing ones have been stretched beyond capacity. In such a scenario, it is imperative that the government and civic bodies take immediate action and people are made aware of proper waste management practices.
Conclusion
The Press Information Bureau has reported that India generates almost 62 million tonnes of mixed waste, which houses recyclables and non-recyclables, every year. Not only that, it is believed that less than 60% of this waste is actually collected from households and many would argue that only 15% of it is processed. Furthermore, burning garbage is the root of greenhouse emissions in India. Municipal authorities provide the service of Solid Waste Management although the waste is deposited in a dump yard. This has led to improper handling of solid waste which is one of the leading contributors to air pollution.
The National Environment Act was passed in 1986 which was amended in 2006. Thereafter, many legislations have been passed including the SWM rules of 2016, although it cannot be denied that none have been successfully implemented because of two main reasons. Firstly, there has been a lack of an overarching policy that is comprehensive in nature, and secondly, due to the fact that a multitude of certifications from Central and State Pollution Control Boards which apply to different sets of rules are required. The existence of a common waste treatment facility has been widely propounded where waste is perceived as a resource that can then either be utilized as a ‘co-fuel’ or ‘co- raw material’ for manufacturing. What then is required is the proper functioning of these facilities unlike the WTE plants currently in operation.
It is, therefore, necessary for households and institutions to be aware of how waste management plays a vital role in air pollution. On their part, they must segregate waste so that it can be processed further. The doors must then be opened towards partnerships and collaborations between government, civic, private, and informal sector bodies who can play an active role in ensuring that waste is disposed of properly.
