STATUS OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE GENERATION IN KERALA AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS Dr. R. Ajaykumar Varma Executive Director, Suchitwa Mission Introduction The rapid urbanization, constant change in consumption pattern and social behaviour have increased the of municipal solid waste (MSW) in Kerala beyond the assimilative of capacity of our environment and management capacity of the existing waste management systems. Therefore, there is an urgent necessity of improved planning and implementation of comprehensive MSW management systems for upgrading the environmental scenario of the State. It requires detailed information on the quantity and character of MSW generated and their physical and chemical properties. This is to evolve appropriate waste management strategy based on the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle and design appropriate collection, transportation, processing and disposal system. It requires reliable data on quantity and quality of MSW generated in the State. Therefore, an attempt is made here to present the details of available data on the quantity and character of MSW generated at various parts of the State for planning further studies on the aspect. Database on MSW Generally, data on the quantity of MSW is maintained by the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). This is generated based on the quantity of waste collected and transported on a day to day basis, based on the number of trips made or on approximation based on guesstimates. Normally, there is no practice of weighing the MSW or measurement of its volume while transportation. Therefore, the data has very little authenticity (SEUF, 2006). Based on the studies carried out by the Centre for Earth Science Studies and data compiled by the Clean Kerala Mission for all the Municipalities and Corporations of the State, the average daily per capita comes to 0.178 kg with a very high variation from 0.034 kg for Koothuparamba to 0.707 kg for Thalassery (CESS, 2001; Padmalal & Maya, 2002; Varma & Dileepkumar, 2004). This is due to the fact that the quantification of from different types of sources has not been done in any of the ULBs by direct
method of source wise sample surveys or by indirect method of assessing collected waste, uncollected quantities and that separated for recycling and reuse. The studies carried out by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in Indian cities have revealed that quantum of MSW varies between 0.21-0.35 kg/capita/day in the urban centres and it goes up to 0.5 kg/capita/day in large cities (NEERI, 1996). Considering this, the waste in the Municipalities of Kerala can be taken as a minimum of 0.21 kg/capita/day with an increment due to the increasing trend of waste and that the estimate was that of 1996. The studies conducted by the Urban Development Section (East Asia and Pacific Region) of the World Bank, considering the relation between GNP and per capita waste, indicated that the rate of waste 12.2 4.1 3.2 Magnitude of waste sources is estimated to 19.6 Domestic Commercial grow at an exponential rate of 1.41 per cent per annum. 9.5 Community halls Hotels Therefore, the present 101.4 Markets minimum of 12.4 Institutions Street Hospitals MSW can be considered as around 0.242 kg/head/day. 21.9 Slaughter hse Accordingly, the daily Construction 2.4 MSW in the 22.8 Municipalities of the State as per the norms derived is given in Table 1. However, amendments are necessary in some special cases such as Guruvayoor, where about 35,000 pilgrims reaches on a day to day basis, which goes up to 50,000 per day during the festival seasons. The of MSW by the Guruvayoor Temple is reported be 3.30 tons/day and that of elephant dung and elephant food is 7.80 tons. Therefore, these need to be added to that estimated using the norm derived. Similar amendments are required for various urban centres. Therefore, considering the data provided in Table 1 as first approximation value, each Municipality need to make its own assessment of the quantity of waste generated which is one of the crucial basic data for developing a MSW
management programme. It is also necessary to estimate the waste generated at different sources of a region for planning and undertaking effective management of MSW at respective sources, as far as possible. Accordingly, the Kerala State Urban Development Project generated data on the quantum of municipal MSW generated from different source in four City Corporations of Kerala by engaging consultants with specific terms of references based on standard protocols (Information from KSUDP, 2006). The MSW generated in four Corporations, estimated based on direct method, is given in Table 2. Based on this, the magnitude of waste generating sources is given in pie chart. It indicates that most dominant sources to be addressed for waste management are domestic sources, commercial areas, hotels, streets and markets. Considering these estimates, the total MSW in the entire state, estimated based on the population figure of 2001 and projected for the year 2006 is given in Table 3. A portion of the MSW generated will be collected by rag pickers for recycling and reuse. There will also be source level disposal, especially in areas where the population density is low. It is estimated that in urban areas, it works out to be about 10 to 15%. Physical composition of MSW The physical composition of MSW is important for deciding the prime management actions namely the reduction, reuse and recycling of waste. The physical composition of MSWs at the collection point and dumping sites, as reported by the KSUDP, is given in Table 4. It indicates that in the major cities of the State, around 80% of the waste is compostable organics enabling high level of recycling in the form of manure or fuel. The physical composition of wastes are also reported from other Municipalities by CESS (2001), Padmalal & Maya (2001) etc., which is given in Table 5. These data also indicate the dominance of compostable waste in the State indicating the high possibility of productive use of wastes. Chemical composition of MSW The chemical characterization of waste is important to understand the utilization as well as the pollution potential of the waste. The chemical composition of MSW from four major
cities of the state as reported by the KSUDP is given in Table 6. It indicates high moisture content, low calorific value and high nutrient content making the dominant organic fraction of waste more conducive for recycling in the form of manure. The data reported from other towns by CESS (2001), Padmalal & Maya (2001) also indicate a similar pattern in the chemical composition (Table 7). One of the notable features of the chemical characteristics of waste is the high content of heavy metals (Table 8; Table 9). It indicates that dumping of waste will lead to metallic pollution of land, especially if the waste is subjected to putrefaction. Conclusion Though there is appreciable data on the of MSW, they are generated based on different approaches. However, they play a major role for planning and implementing comprehensive MSW management programmes as stipulated in the MSW (Management & Handling) Rules, 2000. The protocol adopted for data do not find tallying in many cases. This has implication on determining the quantum and quality of MSW at source as well as processing site. The data generated for the four Corporations, Kollam, Cochin, Thrissur and Kozhikkode is found to be based on a systematic protocol. Such a data practice is important for planning foolproof MSW management system. Table 1. Municipal Solid Waste Generation as per the norms Standard Norms Sl. No Name of Municipality Population 2001 MSW tonnes/day Sl. No Name of Municipality Population 2001 MSW tonnes/day 1 Alappuzha 177079 43 28 Iringalakuda 28873 7 2 Kottayam 60725 15 29 Kudungallur 33543 8 3 Chenganassery 51960 13 30 Shornur 42022 10 4 Aluva 24108 6 31 Malappuram 58490 14 5 Palakkad 130736 32 32 Manjeri 83704 20 6 Kannur 63795 15 33 Perinthalmanna 44613 11 7 Thalassery 99386 24 34 Kanchangad 65499 16 8 Thuruvalla 56828 14 35 Nedumangad 56138 14 9 Perumbavoor 26550 6 36 Varkala 42273 10 10 Thirur 53650 13 37 Paravur (South) 38649 9 11 Vadakara 75740 18 38 Adoor 28943 7 12 Kasaragod 52683 13 39 Mavelikkara 28440 7
13 Neyattinkata 69435 17 40 Chengannur 25391 6 14 Attingal 35648 9 41 Vikom 22637 5 15 Punallor 47226 11 42 Kalamassery 63176 15 16 Pathanamthitta 37802 9 43 Chavakkad 38138 9 17 Kayamkulam 65299 16 44 Guruvayoor 21187 5 18 Cherthala 45102 11 45 Cittoor- 31884 8 Thathamangalam 19 Pala 22640 5 46 Otapalam 49230 12 20 Thodupuzha 46226 11 47 Ponnani 87356 21 21 Kothamangalam 37169 9 48 Kalpatta 29602 7 22 Muvattupuzha 29230 7 49 Payannur 68711 17 23 Kunnamkulam 51585 12 Koothuparambu 29532 7 24 North Paravur 30056 7 51 Thaliparambu 67441 16 25 Thrippunithura 59881 14 52 Quilandy 68970 17 26 Angamaly 33424 8 53 Mattannur 44317 11 27 Chalakudy 48371 12 Total 2731093 661 (AfterNEERI, 1996; Varma& Dileep, 2004; SEUF, 2006) Table 2. Municipal Solid Waste estimated based on direct sampling Sl. MSW Generation sources Quantum of MSW Generation (tonnes/day) No Kollam Kochi Thrissur Kozhikkode 1 Domestic sources 95 134.7 75.75 100.12 2 Commercial establishments 17 32.99 13.02 28.16 3 Marriage & Community Halls 1 4.75 2.12 1.56 4 Hotel & Restaurent 19 29.9 14.57 24.07 5 Markets 6 20.39 11.01 12.08 6 Institutions/Schools, Offices 7 14.75 5.51 10.62 7 Street sweepings 14 31.3 13.87 19.28 8 Hospitals (Non-infectious) 2 4.22 3.60 6.64 9 Slaughter house 2 5.26 2.25 -- 10 Construction & demolition 7 17.00 13.60 11.00 Total 170 295.26 154.70 213.53 Per capita (g/day/head) 434 482 476 477 Table 3. Waste Generation scenario in Kerala in 2006 5 Corporations 53 Municipalities 999 Panchayats Population 2001 Percapita waste (g) Tot Waste (tonnes/day) Projected population 2006 Projected waste (g) Total waste 2006 (tonnes/day) 2456618 435 1069 2543812 465 1183 2731093 250 683 2828030 268 758 23574449 175 4126 24411200 187 4565
Total Waste Generation in Kerala 5878 6506 Table 4. Physical composition of MSW at collection point and dumping site Type of MSW Kollam Kochi Thrissur Kozhikkode Collection Dump Collection Dump Collection Dump Collection Dump point site point site point site point site Paper 3.10 4.38 4.87 4.42 2.74 3.36 3.32 5.71 Plastic 2.95 4.39 4.83 4.10 2.26 2.46 2.05 2.36 Metals 0.32 0.51 0.35 1.03 0.25 0.61 0.71 0.38 Glass 0.76 1.06 1.06 2.04 0.47 1.36 1.85 0.68 Rubber & Leather 0.84 1.53 1.50 1.42 1.31 2.17 1.50 0.93 Inerts 0.77 0.00 1.74 1.81 1.06 1.82 1.44 1.85 Ash & fine earth 1.90 2.45 1.68 3.68 6.43 3.47 2.75 5.06 Compostable 88.34 84.32 79.78 77.14 82.51 81.85 83.9 79.28 organics Domestic hazardous 0.17 0.38 0.28 0.74 0.33 0.62 0.93 0.46 0.85 0.96 3.90 3.64 2.63 2.26 1.55 3.29 Table 5. Physical composition of MSW from different townships of Kerala Composition Chenganassernthapuram Kottayam Kannur Aluva Thiruvana- Average Paper 10.20 6.80 8.20 9.72 2.25 7.43 Plastic 4.90 4.25 6.67 6.94 2.79 5.11 Metals 0.20 2.00 1.40 1.38 1.02 1.20 Glass 0.50 2.25 1.60 1.00 1.30 1.33 Rubber & Leather 0.60 2.20 1.67 1.77 2.11 1.67 Compostable organics 76.60 73.45 68.73 70.83 69.09 71.74 Others-Textiles, Inerts & domestic hazardous 7.00 9.05 11.73 8.36 21.44 11.52 Sl. No. (After Padmalal et al., 2002; Rep. Capital City Development Project for Thiruvananthapuram, 2003; SEUF, 2007) Table 6. Chemical characteristics of MSW at the dumping sites of major cities Locartion/area Density (Kg/m 3 ) Moisture Content Calorific Value (K.Cal/kg) ph C N C/N P as P 2 0 5 1 Kollam 207.06 74.32 1656 7.72 24.97 0.97 25.74 553.5 2 Kochi 267.81 55.29 1759 7.46 26.39 1.25 21.11 129.25 3 Thrissur 335.50 69.52 1744 7.40 28.68 0.93 30.84 1561.17 4 Kozhikkode 327.65 79.54 1816 7.12 32.72 2.43 13.46 1050.17 Average 284.51 69.67 1744 7.43 28.19 1.40 22.79 823.52
Sl. No. Table 7. Chemcial characterisitcs of MSW from various townships of Kerala Locartion/area Density Moisture (Kg/m 3 ) Content Calorific Value (K.Cal/kg) ph Organic Matter C N C/N P as P 2 0 5 K K 2 O 1 Changanasseri 613 51.04 1331 8.3 31.95 18.53 0.55 33.51 0.49 0.54 2 Chengannur 688 60.58 1670 7.7 26.57 15.41 0.5 30.58 0.2 0.61 3 Muvattupuzha 538 45.08 923 8.1 30.67 17.79 0.37 47.95 0.37 0.54 4 Pala 420 56.76 1198 6.6 23.73 13.76 0.5 27.69 0.3 0.37 5 Kottayam 510 58.98 1408 7.4 32.27 18.72 0.33 56.89 0.52 0.46 6 Alappuzha 570 61.61 2393 7 31 17.98 0.53 34.25 0.72 0.44 7 Kothamangalam 472 58.12 2664 6.8 52.43 30.41 0.76 39.86 0.47 0.54 8 Aluva 522 53.74 1523 6.6 41.76 24.22 0.53 46.13 0.24 0.51 9 Kannur 472 46.42 -- 7.11 -- 13.91 1.16 11.99 0.41 0.45 Average 541.63 55.74 1638.75 7.31 33.80 19.60 0.51 39.61 0.41 0.50 (After CESS, 2001; Padmalal et al., 2002;; SEUF, 2006) Table 8. Heavy metal content in MSW at the dumping sites of major cities in Kerala location Ar Mg/kg Mn Ni Cd Pb Cr Cu Zn Hg Mg/kg Kollam 3.43 -- 2.48 0.20 5.13 -- 11.95 24.30 <0.1 Kochi 5.72 -- 4.49 0.38 2.48 -- 47.53 98.98 <0.1 Thrissur 0.40 -- 1.17 0.20 5.43 -- 14.98 25.98 <0.1 Kozhikkode 1.80 -- 3.68 0.82 15.92 -- 10.15 31.42 <0.1 Average 2.84 -- 2.96 0.4 7.24 -- 21.15 45.17 <0.1 Table 9. Heavy metal content in MSW from various townships of Kerala location Fe % Mn Ni Cd Pb Cr Cu Zn Changanasseri 1.51 176 24 2.00 68 69 119 223 Chengannur 1.68 229 37 1.78 265 96 172 207 Muvattupuzha 1.18 141 21 1.46 295 82 115 127 Pala 1.00 122 17 1.55 90 58 48 97 Kottayam 1.61 229 26 2.53 84 77 167 267 Alappuzha 1.52 247 21 2.08 308 56 68 224 Kannur 0.75 -- 13 1.76 42 28 55 -- Average 1.32 191 22.71 1.88 164.57 66.57 106.58 190.83 (After CESS, 2001; Padmalal et al., 2002;; SEUF, 2006)