A VISIT REPORT ON SOLID WASTE

MANAGEMENT PLANT, ISLAMPUR

SUBMITTED BY: 1852014

Introduction to solid waste:

Civilization began & developed around river banks. Things were manageable at those times as
people lived in harmony with nature. Industrialization changed everything. At the end of the 19th
century the industrial revolution saw the rise of the world of consumers. Concentrated population
packets developed at and around industrial area. Rapid Urbanization process posed many
challenges before planning authorities. Government, local administration tried & is trying their
level best to provide all basic amenities to this population. While doing so, one difficult
challenge before administration is to manage waste generated by this large population. Solid
waste generation is a continually growing problem at global, regional and local levels. Solid
wastes are those organic and inorganic waste materials produced by various activities of the
society, which have lost their value to the first user. Improper disposal of solid wastes pollutes all
the vital components of the living environment (i.e., air, land and water) at local and global
levels. The problem is more acute in developing nations than in developed nations, as their
economic growth as well as urbanization is more rapid. There has been a significant increase in
MSW (municipal solid waste) generation in India in the last few decades. This is largely because
of rapid population growth and economic development in the country. Due to rapid growth of
urban population, as well as constraint in resources, the management of solid waste poses a
difficult and complex problem for the society and its improper management gravely affects the
public health and degrades environment.
VISIT DETAILS:

Name of plant: Islampur solid waste management plant

Location of plant: June khed Islampur road, Uran Islampur

Type of waste: Agricultural, domestic, plastic, etc.

Plant area: 12 acres

Plant cost: 7 crores 70 lakhs

Date of visit: 09 Oct. 2018

Stage 1 Collection :
The solid waste is collected from all the houses in Islampur by means of vans. The door to door
collection of the solid waste is done in two phases viz.

Separate collection for vegetable market waste is carried out.

Stage 2 Segregation:

Here the separation of biodegradable waste and non biodegradable waste is done. It is done
manually . Organic waste is sent to tanks for anaerobic digestion and then tovermicomposting.

Non biodegradable waste like materials like plastic, rubber, etc are recycled and sold out. Some
of the materials are also auctioned or given to the rag pickers. The building debris is sent to a
crusher unit after which it is used for road blanketing, landfill, etc.

Stage 3 Open dumping:

An open dumping is defined as a land disposal site at which solid wastes are disposed of in a
manner that does not protect the environment, are susceptible to open burning, and are exposed
to the elements, vectors, and scavengers.

Open dumping can include solid waste disposal facilities or practices that pose a reasonable
probability of adverse effects on health or the environment.

An officially designated Municipal Solid Waste Landfill (MSWLF) is not an open dump.

PLASTIC TO PAVING BLOCKS:

The use of waste plastics in concrete pavement block is a partial solution to the environmental
and ecological challenges associated with the use of plastics. Plastic bottles were first used to
replace cement in the production of pavement blocks. The polymeric material was first shredded
and melted in an aluminum container at a temperature range of 250 ºC - 260 ºC and the quarry
dust and sand were added in their respective ratios. In another set of studies, the waste plastic
bottles were used as a partial replacement for quarry dust in the manufacturing of pavement
blocks. The cleaned waste plastics bottles were first cut into flakes and then incorporated into the
concrete mixture.

VERMICOMPOSTING:

Vermicomposting is a type of composting in which certain species of earthworms are used to

enhance the process of organic waste conversion and produce a better end-product. It is a
mesophilic process utilizing microorganisms and earthworms. Earthworms feeds the organic
waste materials and passes it through their digestive system and gives out in a granular form
(cocoons) which is known as vermicompost.
Simply speaking, vermicompost is earthworm excrement, called castings, which can improve
biological, chemical, and physical properties of the soil. The chemical secretions in the
earthworm’s digestive tract help break down soil and organic matter, so the castings contain
more nutrients that are immediately available to plants.

How is Vermicompost Produced ?

A wide range of organic residues, such as straw, husk, leaves, stalks, weeds etc can be converted
into vermicompost. Other potential feedstock for vermicompost production are livestock wastes,
poultry litter, dairy wastes, food processing wastes, organic fraction of MSW, bagasse, digestate
from biogas plants etc. Earthworms consume organic wastes and reduce the volume by 40–60
percent. Each earthworm weighs about 0.5 to 0.6 gram, eats waste equivalent to its body weight
and produces cast equivalent to about 50 percent of the waste it consumes in a day. The moisture
content of castings ranges between 32 and 66 percent and the pH is around 7. The level of
nutrients in compost depends upon the source of the raw material and the species of earthworm.

CONCLUSION:

At the end of the visit, we got a chance to experience and learn solid waste
management. We also learned the recycling of solid wsate.

Further more we learnt two different types of waste and how the waste is seperated
in different categories depending on the criteria.

This visit helped us for better understanding of difference between theorotical and
practical knowledge. Overall it was a great experience for us.