Landfilling For Waste Management in Kerala

Waste management methods are very important to protect the environment as well as improve health and quality of lives of people. Programmes for capacity building in waste management and change in the attitudes among people has to be launched. The quantum of investment required for setting up waste management facilities in Kerala has to be well estimated by the state government.  The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has come forward with a huge amount to help in setting up solid and liquid waste management units across India. Thus the acute waste management problems can be resolved by implementing such plans.

Importance of Landfill Units

The result of such plans can be seen by segregating and treating as much as waste as possible at the source level itself. Urban waste dumping can be stopped only with the help of landfill units. Locating landfills for such a purpose is a very difficult task in a state like Kerala where there is acute shortage of land. But we cannot in any way avoid setting up landfill units for waste treatment. Sparsely populated plantations are thus being explored by the state government as landfill units for waste treatment.

Selecting places for landfills

Local bodies have great difficulties in finding land for setting up waste treatment plants. However hard we try, there would be 10% to 20% of inorganic waste that can be treated only with the help of landfills. Seven such regional landfill units across the state have been selected for this purpose. Inorganic waste treatment for the towns and municipalities in the neighbouring districts will be commonly facilitated here. Each such unit would require about 300 acres of land. Such units would be located mainly in rubber plantations as rubber products are not being used to eat.

Benefit of treating waste in landfills

Treating the waste in landfills reduce the impact it has on the environment and encourages recovery and recycling. The characteristic of the waste is changed here. A large amount of compost can be produced as a result of the waste treatment in such units. The compost produced from these units can also be used as manure for augmenting the productivity of rubber trees.

Selection of waste for landfills

Low level radioactive wastes must only be disposed at landfills. Certain wastes must not be send to landfills. These include:-

•  Liquid waste, also known as trade effluent
•  Used tyres
•  Infectious clinical wastes from hospitals, medical premises or veterinary establishments.
•  Wastes having explosive, corrosive, flammable or oxidising characteristics.

A Smart Move For Waste Management- Surveillance System To Catch Garbage Dumpers

A Smart Move For Waste Management- Surveillance  System To Catch Garbage-Dumpers

Waste watching is a beneficial program and an effective way to reduce waste in our surroundings, making neighbourhoods a better place. This is possible by setting up surveillance systems at necessary areas. The main driver for this system is to be able to identify unsuitable and hazardous waste entering a particular area. Donarbon and MBT which are the two important waste management parks have replaced an analogue surveillance system with multiple, strategically placed Axis network cameras.

In order to combat the problem of being bombarded with garbage bundles, Kerala has to adopt this high-tech method of waste management. Waste Management's video surveillance system gives you a cost-effective way to protect your premises. This method has already started functioning at Elankam in Thiruvananthapuram.

 Method of Working of Waste Surveillance System

A closed circuit TV camera unit has to be set up in one of the houses in that area. The camera which is very small has to be mounted at a height and should equip night vision. The inbuilt recorder stores the images which are streamed instantaneously to the CCTV monitors. To get a very clear view, fix an 80 Watt CFL lamp that lights up the area. About Rs 10,000 is required to set up such a system

Benefits of Surveillance System in Waste Management

Such units keep vigil on waste dumpers who make merry on the vacant places. These people who try to flee after dumping waste could be successfully nabbed with such units. The images stored can be handed over to the local police. This helps the health squads to easily identify them and slap a fine.

About three people were caught at Elankam within the first two days of mounting the surveillance. The residents of this colony handed over the stored image to Karamana police where they were identified and fined. The first catch itself boosted the confidence of the colony members and they are sure that the surveillance unit would help them stop the menace. The brain behind this idea is Padmakumar, a resident of the colony.

The Elankam strategy has been a huge draw with many other garbage-ridden associations, deciding to install CCTVs. Many of the councillors are holding talks with residents associations about setting up such surveillance units. The job of corporation health squads are also made easier with such a unit.