A STUDY ON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN KERALA

WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PALAKKAD DISTRICT

1.1 Introduction
waste management is the one of the Serious problem faced by most of the cities in India.The
problem is particularly due to industrialization and urbanization. This problem may lead to serious
environmental, social and economic complications. This problem is mostly affected in the
developing countries like India because There is a tremendous increase in the population and also
dynamic economic activities are take place in and around the city. As the village grew into towns
and cities, it has been observed especially in developing countries to throw waste in to vacant plots,
water ways etc. Today’s greedy human population utilise more material than required to meet their
daily needs. Hence the excess materials and non-usable portions are discarded, known as solid
waste or refuse. Accumulation of solid waste in open areas cause odour nuisance, reflect the un
organised nature of community, and create poor environment for growing children. Improper and
unorganised disposal solid waste in open area and landfills have a negative impact on the living
condition of human being as well as the overall environment. It results in spread of communicable
and non-communicable disease among human beings and animals, thus effecting the welfare,
livelihood and ground economic productivity. In addition, it causes contamination of solid, surface
water and ground water and generation of toxic greenhouse gases. Therefore, proper collection
and subsequent disposal of solid waste with minimum nuisance have assumed a great importance
in community environment sanitation programmes. Improper disposal of solid waste causes an
adverse impact on all components of the environment and human health.

Waste management is the process of waste collection, Transportation, processing as well as

ways to recycling or disposal. This study focuses to analyse the waste management in Kerala with
special reference to Palakkad district.

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1.2 Statement of the problem
The study was Conducted to analyse the waste management in Kerala and recommend the
appropriate methods to reduce the waste materials. Waste is the useless by-product of human
activities and it should be properly disposed otherwise it creates pollution and health issues.Waste
disposal is one of the problem faced by all nations across the globe. The problem has further
increased in cities of shortage of dumbing sits and strict environmental legislation. Waste
management has come to be a serious issue in Kerala. The main problem was that the state did not
have a successful model for waste management. Waste management is essential service to be
provided by municipal and local bodies. Due to lack of knowledge of disposing the wastage, people
trash the garbage in a way they want. People throw the garbage without realizing that it is affecting
their own health and will deteriorate the future generation’s living stand.

The major reason for growing municipal waste generation is change in life style, change in
food habit, fast economic development, urbanization and growing population. Due to these factors
Palakkad district in Kerala also facing waste management problem. The waste generation are
responsible for waste treatment and disposal has not yet reached the heart of people and they blame
the municipal authorities for all issue related with solid waste management. A complete and
environmentally sound solid waste management require effective contribution from all those who
are involved in this problem. Everyone is a part of solid waste generation problem and everyone
shall be part of the solution of solid waste problem. In this context, it is considered that appropriate
to conduct a study on effectiveness of waste management in Palakkad district in Kerala. The
problem is stated as ‘A study on effectiveness of solid waste management in palakkad district.

1.3 Scope of the study

The main purpose of this research is to study the waste management in Kerala. The study mainly
focuses on appropriate methods of waste handling and various measuresfor disposal of waste.
Thestudy covers effectiveness of solid waste management in Palakkad district and it
attempts to understand the effectiveness of solid waste management in Palakkad district.
Information has been collected from 100 respondents. The result of the study will provided a better
understanding of type, nature and estimated volume of waste generation and environmental impact

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caused by waste generation. The study will also stepping stone and make the modest contribution
for those who have interested to conduct research on waste management.

1.4 Objectives
• To study the effectiveness of solid waste management in Palakkad district
• To determine the type, nature and estimated volume of waste generated in Palakkad district
• To study methods and technologies used for treatments of waste management in Palakkad
district

1.5 Research methodology

Research methodology is a systematic process that helps to analyse the waste management

1 Research design

Research design is descriptive in nature. It uses both primary and secondary data

2 sample size
For conducting the study, a total of 100 respondents are selected from various panchayat and
municipalities in Palakkad district

3 Sampling technique
Samples were collected by using random sampling

4 Tools of analysis
Various statistical tools and techniques are used for analysing data

1.6 LIMITATIONS

Data collection is mainly done in a particular area, reliability, accuracy of the project depend up
on the data collected. Time factor is considered as another limitation.Population is very large. So
convenient sampling is adopted. The study was conducted within a short period of time..The study
is based on the data collected from different respondents by using questionnaires .There may be
chance of bias on the part of respondents. And selecting different categories of people was a

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difficult task. Secondary data was used in the study. Secondary data may have errors which are
difficult to be verified.

1.7 CHAPTERISATION
Chapter1: introduction, statement of the problem, scope and objectives of the study,
research methodology and limitations of the study.
Chapter2: Review of literature
Chapter3: Theortical framework
Chapter4: Data analysis and interpretations
Chapter5: findings, suggestions, conclusions

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2.1 INTRODUCTION

➢ BHATTARAI.R.C (2000) analyzed that the behavior on solid waste management

in Kathmandu metropolitan city and found household size and income as the major
determining factor for total quantity of waste generated.

➢ SALHOFER (2001) has dealt with four different approaches to analyze waste
generation rates. They are input-output model, factor model, region specific
classification, single point of generation based classification and macro level
classification.

➢ JHTANSKANEN- (2000)A computer model was developed and applied for

studying integrated Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) in the Helsinki
Metropolitan Area. The model is based on a method developed for analyzing on-
site collection system of waste materials separated at the source for recovery. The
main of the Helsinki study was to find and analyze separation strategies fulfilling
the recovery rate target adopted for municipal solid waste Finland, that is 50wt. %
by the end of 2000 and 70wt. % by 2005.

➢ R DIAZ, M WARITH (2006)This paper describes the development of Waste

Analysis Software Tool for Environmental Decisions (WASTED) model. This
model provides a comprehensive view of the environmental impacts of municipal
solid waste management systems. The model consists of a number of separate sub
models that describe a typical waste management process: waste collection, material
recovery, composting, energy recovery from waste and landfilling. These sub
models are combined to represent a complete waste management.

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➢ BANAR ET AL. (2008) studied and determined the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
management strategy for Eskisehir city, Turkey, using life cycle assessment (LCA)
methodology. They emphasized that an effective management system is needed
since the generated MSW is dumped in an unregulated dumping site and
recommend to develop five different scenarios: collection and transportation of
waste, material recovery facility (MRF), recycling, composting, incineration and
landfilling processes as an alternate to the current waste management system. He
stated that composting scenario is the more environmentally preferable alternative,
where the recovery of bibliography degradable fraction and organic (77%) from the
MF is transported to the composting facility and the residue (8.24%) is sent to the
landfill.

➢ MAHESH KUMAR & SUDHA GOEL (2009) carried out a study on MSW
characterized and proposed a management plan for Kharagpur, west Bengal, India.
In their study, it was revealed that 45 metric tonnes/day of solid waste generated
remains uncollected which was dumped in open land and natural and engineered
drains, thus blocking the flow of storm water and contaminating groundwater. Other
major issues are inappropriate bin location and poorly designed community bins,
collection vehicles that are in poor condition, inadequate labor for collection
methods replacing the stationary. Container system with the hauled container
system, sitting of waste disposal sites and suitable methods of disposal.

➢ SM KAUFMAN, N KRISHNAN, (2010)The disposal of municipal solid waste

(MSW) can lead to significant environmental burdens. The implementation of
effective waste practices, however, requires the ability to benchmark alternative
system from an environmental sustainability perspective. Existing metrics such as
recycling and generation rates, or the emission of individual pollutants often are not

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 goal-oriented, are not readily comparable, and may not provide insight into the most
effective option for improvement.
➢ TRIPATHI ET AL. (2012) studied the physic-chemical properties and properties
and heavy metal in contaminated soils of municipal waste dumpsites at Allahabad,
India. He stated that the level of heavy metal contamination is higher at dumpsite
which may be a cause of concern for their surrounding environment and organism
and concluded that all the dumpsites are contaminated with heavy metals, thus open
dumping of waste should be discouraged and proper monitoring and remediation
plan is needed to reduce the chance of ground water pollution from leaching of these
contaminants.

➢ KODWO MIEZHA, (2015) conducted a study to generate a comprehensive data

at the regional and national level for use in planning and implementation of relevant
waste management activities in Ghana. They found that organic fraction in the waste
was the highest in the waste stream and ranged from 48% to 69%. Paper increased
the percentage of biodegradables to 58-76% which could be used as raw material
for biological conversion processes like composting, biogas and bioethanol refinery
process. Also stated that, the success of any designed waste segregation system will
depend largely on the active participation of the waste generators in the various
communities and how they comply with the principles of sorting and separation of
the waste.

➢ RAJESH ET AL. (2014) the author stated that with the increase in population there
is an exponential increase in MSW generation, hence it is necessary to reduce either
by disposing it or recycling periodically. Conducting awareness programs about
waste generation and its effects on human health and sustainability for the people,
proper planning in industries may create a healthy environment both for the humans
and animals to live.

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➢ SESHA SAI RATNAMALA BOMMAREDDY & ASADI (2017) in their study
recommend automated plastic separator by which the plastic content in the waste
can be segregated and other biodegradable content will be discharged as slurry. The
plastic contents may be sent to recycling units and slurry can be used as compost
for agricultural purpose.

➢ ABHILASH RAJENDRA & RAMU (2014), their research aims to assess the
present status of municipal solid waste management and to suggest measure to
improve them for Mysore city, India. Author emphasized the importance of MSW
management and stated that selection of the system for the collection, transportation,
treatment and disposal can determine the number of recycling bins needed, the day
people must place their garbage at the curb, the truck routes through residential
streets, and the cost of waste service to households. It must be ensured that MSW
management is environmentally safe and follows sustainable disposal. Thus, MSW
management can be a significant issue for municipalities. The waste collection,
transport and transfer methods depend on the specific site, waste generated,
distribution road network, workforce, vehicles, treatment methods, etc. The issue of
waste is not only because of the increasing quantities but also largely because of an
inadequate management system.

➢ ZURBRUGG, C, CANIATO, M, VACCARI, M (2014) Selecting actions for

improvement of solid waste management in low-and middle-income countries and
understanding how a specific decision choice will fit and impact on a local context
is key to identifying sustainable solutions. Assessment of the choice (be it technical
or managerial) and assessment of the local enabling or disabling conditions are both
important steps in decision making process. Various assessment tools and methods
are currently available to support decision-making in solid waste management.

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➢ M BANAR, Z COKAYGIL,-(2009) Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology
was used to determine the optimum municipal solid waste (MSW) management
strategy for Eskisehir city. Eskisehir is one of the developing cities of Turkey where
a total of approximately 750 tons/day of waste is generated. An effective MSW
management system is needed in this city since the generated MSW is dumped in
an unregulated dumping site that has no liner, no biogas capture, etc.

➢ A EMERY, A DAVIES, A GRIFFITHS, K WILLIAMS-(2007) In recent years

the burdens that waste puts on the environment has been widely publicized. To
address the earth’s dwindling resource and the growing mountains of waste many
counties have introduced statutory waste minimization and recovery targets. The
general public are generally more concerned with the effects that has on the
environment. Whereas waste managers and planners need to consider the financial
costs of collection, processing and disposal.

➢ C ACHILLAS, (2013) Problems in waste management have become more and

more complex during recent decades. The increasing volumes of waste produced
and social environmental consciousness present prominent drivers for
environmental managers towards the achievement of a sustainable waste
management scheme. However, in practice, there are many factors and influences-
often mutually conflicting-criteria for finding solutions in real-life applications.

➢ MCLAIN (1995) identified the changes in life style in the last 50 years as the main
cause for increased solid waste generation in U.S.A. The increase in nuclear
families, increase in women’s participation in work and the usage of modern kitchen
equipment has increased the need for packaged foods which has accelerated the rate
of after consumption waste. It was found that, in the U.S about 33% of waste
consisted of containers and packaging materials.
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➢ MARTIN MEDINA (1997) analyzed the relationship between the municipal solid
waste generation and income for 123 countries. A curvilinear shape was found for
the relationship between the two variables which shows that as a country develops
its waste generation rate increase but as it reaches the middle income and upper
income range the generation rate decrease.

➢ PODOLSK AND SIEGEL (1998) analyzed municipal waste disposal, unit pricing
and recycling opportunities on 149 municipalities in New Jersey in use U.S and
identified a negative relation between household generated less solid waste
compared with rural household mainly due to space constraints in urban areas.

➢ HONG (1999) examined the effect of unit pricing system upon household solid
waste in Korea. He used a data set of 3017 household from cities Korea and
estimates the household solid waste generation being income inelastic at 0.10
Kinnanam and Fullerton (1997), Hong et al (1999) and Jenkins et al (2003), in their
respective studies found a negative relation between household size and solid waste
generation.

➢ AVANI CHOPRA & KAPOOR (2016) emphasized that, in municipal solid waste
management, involving private sector will result in an efficient and professional
SWM system. The private sector is usually best providing efficient service and is
capable to infuse the latest technology by restoring to collaboration with leaders in
the technology, while the public sector is best at doing the jobs of monitoring and
enforcement. Therefore, a suitable combination of private and public sectors will be
necessary to provide and efficient management system.

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➢ SUAD MAHDI GLEAWA (2012) studied the seasonal variation in Hilla municipal
solid waste composition. He stated that there is no significant variation in moisture
content of solid wastes through winter, spring and summer seasons, but autumn has
the lowest moisture content and highest 15 calorific value. He also stated that waste
contains high percentage of organic matter (food wastes) during all seasons of the
year.

➢ PRAYONG KEERATIURAI (2012), in his research, studied the management of

solid wastes of municipal sub-districts in the Lower Northeast, Thailand
Nakhonchaiburin group. This study aimed to determine the proportion of different
types of the solid wastes at the present time and to offer the right choices for solid
waste management. It states that season was one of the factor that influence the
amount of solid waste but the season had low impact on the composition of the solid
wastes.

➢ SESHA SAI RATNAMALA BOMMAREDDY &ASADI (2017) in their study

recommend automated plastic separator by which the plastic content in the waste
can be segregated and other biodegradable content will be discharged as slurry. The
plastic contents may be sent to recycling units and slurry can be used as compost
for agricultural purposes.

➢ The study by RAJEEV DAHIYA (2015) reveals that removal of recyclable

fraction and composting of biodegradable components should be an integral part of
the waste management policy to handle the increase of the 20 solid waste with
population growth. These measures will decrease the quantity of solid waste
remaining for final disposal at landfill site. The policy measures with multi-pronged
approach of population control, and recycling and composting of solid waste will
make a significant impact on sustainable development of the region.

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 ➢ PRAMADA VALLI & SUDHIR MATHUR (2011) state that large amount of
solid wastes is contributed by domestic wastes which cause serious disposal
problem. If they are not properly disposed, then those places become a home for
rats, flies, bacteria, mosquitoes and a large number of vectors which have the
potential of causing many human diseases. Also, the authors suggested that it is
imperative for a large-scale utilization of MSW in the construction of roads. It was
explored that road constructed using MSW combustor ash performed well even after
three years.

➢ MAHDI IKHLAYEL et al. (2016) states that municipal solid waste increased
significantly due to rapid population growth and fast urbanization, change in
lifestyles and consumption patterns. Major problems associated with MSWM are
poor collection rates, open dumping, and improper recycling that pose
environmental damages. Their study revealed that the materials recycled could be
increased by 33.5% if the waste separation was applied at the source of generation.
The authors also state that CO2 and CH4 are mainly emitted from collection and
landfill sites, and part of the pollution could be avoided through recycling. CH4,
NOx, and CO were emitted during waste collection and landfilling. The other
pollutants in air and water were mainly caused by landfill processes. The study
indicated that the scenario included 28% of dry recyclable materials through MRF
and solid waste landfills with energy recovery of the remainder reduced GHG
emissions by 80%. It 21 recovered 155% of the costs while the current cost recovery
in the current system was 55.6%.

➢ ARTHYR OMARI et al. (2014), have made a case study at Arusha, Tanzania about
the thermal degradation behaviour of municipal solid waste which includes
determination of its proximate analysis, ultimate analysis higher heating value and
kinetics. They observed that municipal solid waste is less reactive to combustion as
compared to coal and biomass, but its reactivity can be improved through pre-treating
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process so as to reduce non-combustible materials such as oxygen and ash content. Also
stated that, pyrolysis and gasification can be used to convert MSW to liquid or gaseous
fuel. In the proximate analysis, the waste contains more than 50% and 5% of carbon
and hydrogen respectively which may contribute to high calorific value of Arusha
municipal solid waste. The ultimate analysis shows that average amount of 24 nitrogen,
sulfur, chlorine and phosphorus are small, these reduce emissions during combustion.
The municipal solid waste shows exothermicity property at the devolatilization zone.
The devolatization zone shows that the municipal solid waste can be easily ignited at
temperature above 423K.Therefore municipal solid wastehas a good potential to be
used.

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3.1 MEANING OF WASTE AND SOLID WASTE

Waste and wastes are unwanted or unusable materials. Waste is an unavoidable

product of most human activity. Economic development and rising quality of living
standard have led to increase in quantity and complexity of generated waste. Solid waste
is the mixture of organic and inorganic waste produced by commercial or domestic
activities. Solid waste is any discarded or abandoned materials. In simple words, solid
waste is defined as non-liquid materials that no longer have any value to the person who is
responsible for it.

All human activities viz., domestic commercial, industrial, healthcare and

agriculture generate solid waste. The quantity and nature of waste vary with the activity
and with the level of technological development in country. Solid waste materials arising
from domestic, trade, commercial, agricultural, industrial activities and public services.

3.2 CHARACTERSTICS OF SOLID WASTE

• Moisture content: Moisture content is defined as the ratio of weight of water (wet
weight – dry weight) to the total wet weight of the waste. Moisture increases the
weight of solid waste, and thereby, the cost of collection and transport.
• Calorific value: It is the value amount of heat generated from combustion of a unit
weight of a substance, expressed as kcal/kg. The calorific value is determined
experimentally using Bomb calorimeter in which heat generated at a constant
temperature of 25oC from the combustion of dry sample is measured.
• Compressibility: It is the degree of physical changes of the suspended solids or filter
cake when subjected to pressure.
• Corrosive: These are wastes that include acids or bases that are capable of corroding
mental containers, e.g. tanks
• Reactive: These are usable in nature; they cause explosion, toxic fumes when heated.

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 • Ignitability: This is waste that can create fires under certain conditions, e.g. waste
oils and solvents
• Toxicity: Waste which are harmful or fatal when ingested or absorb.

3.3 CLASSIFICATION OF SOLID WASTE

Some of the major various classification of solid waste is as follows

• Commercial waste

Any waste produced by a business- including paper, cardboard, cans, retail

packaging and food wrappers is commercial waste.

• Municipal waste

It includes waste resulting from municipal activities and services such as

garbage and rubbish from households, hotels, offices, markets etc…. However the term is
commonly applied in a wider sense to incorporate domestic waste and commercial waste.

• Residential waste

This category of waste comprises the solid wastes than originate from
households and residential areas. The garbage from these places include food wastes,
plastic, paper, glass, leather, cardboard, metals, yard wastes, ashes and special wastes like
bulky household items such as electronics, tires, batteries, old mattresses and oil.

• Industrial waste

Industries are known to be one of the biggest contributors to solid waste. They
include light and heavy manufacturing industries, construction sites, fabrication plants,
canning plants, power and chemical plants. These industries produces solid waste in the

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form of housekeeping waste, food waste, packing waste, ashes, construction and
demolition materials, special waste, medical wastes as well as other hazardous wastes.

• Institutional waste

The institutional centers like schools, colleges, prisons, military barracks and
other government centers also produce solid waste. Some of the solid wastes obtained
from these places include glasses, rubber waste, plastic food wastes, wood, paper, metals,
cardboard materials, electronics as well as various hazardous wastes.

• Electronic waste
These types of wastes generated from used electronic devices and household
appliances.

3.4 SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

Solid waste is an unwanted material left from the different processes and sometimes it may
also be in usable form. One of the obvious consequences of rapid urbanization is the
growing generation of solid wastes, and many civic authorities face unprecedented
problems for their rapid collection and proper disposal. The sudden outburst of population
in urban areas, due to shifting from rural area in search of job and modern facilities had
resulted in a substantial increase in the generation of solid waste and challenged the old
waste management system. Everyone try to dispose of the waste material at the earliest
whenever an opportunity is available. This practice usually ends up as illegal dumps on
streets, open spaces, water bodies and waste land. Solid wastes management includes all
administrative, financial, legal, planning, and engineering functions.

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The management of solid waste is one of the challenges facing most of the urban areas in
the world. The quantity and nature of the waste generated vary with the activities and with
the level of technological development in a country. “The issue of waste is not only because
of the increasing quantities but also largely because of an inadequate management system.
The environmentally sound management of solid wastes issue had received the attention
of international and national policy making bodies and citizen’s.The improvement of solid
waste management is one of the greatest challenges faced by the Indian government.

Solid waste is mainly generated from the houses, commercial and industrial areas and
hospitals etc. Due to rising income and influence of western life style, the consumption of
products that have shorter life spans results in higher volumes of plastic, paper, glass, rags,
food items, vegetables and parts of dead animals, radio-active materials, broken and
unusable plastic goods. Now-a day dumping such a large quantity of solid waste is not
possible because of the very high cost of land which is required for dumping. Moreover,
land at the outskirt of the metro cities is required for residential and other purposes. Normal
compositing also requires a long time and hence requires a lot of space. Therefore, we need
some latest techniques which are faster and can handle easily large amount of solid wastes
in an efficient manner. Artificial composting is one of such technique which can be utilized
to solve the current problem of solid waste in big cities. SWM has socio- economic and
environmental dimensions. It includes various phases such as storage, collection, transport,
disposal, and management which have to be integrated.

3.5 Functional elements of solid waste management system:

A SWM system refers to a combination of various functional elements associated with the
management of solid waste. The functional elements that constitute the system are;

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 ➢ Waste generation:

Waste generation encompasses activities in which materials are identified as no longer

being of value (in their present form) and are either thrown away or gathered together for
disposal. Waste are generated from different activities like households, commercial areas,
industries, institutions, street cleaning and other municipal services. The most important
aspect of this part of the SWM system is the identification of waste.

➢ Waste handling, sorting, storage, and processing at the source:

The second of the six functional elements in the solid waste management system is waste
handling, sorting, storage, and processing at the source. Waste handling and sorting
involves the activities associated with management of wastes until they are placed in
storage containers for collection. Handling also encompasses the movement of loaded
containers to the point of collection. Sorting of waste components is an important step in
the handling and storage of solid waste at the source. For example, the best place to separate
waste materials for reuse and recycling is at the source of generation. Households are
becoming more aware of the importance of separating newspaper and cardboard,
bottles/glass, kitchen wastes and ferrous and non-ferrous materials. On-site storage is of
primary importance because of public health concerns and aesthetic consideration.
Unsightly makeshift containers and even open ground storage, both of which are
undesirable, are often seen at many residential and commercial sites. The cost of providing
storage for solid wastes at the source is normally borne by the household in the case of
individuals, or by the management of commercial and industrial properties. Processing at
the source involves activities such as backyard waste composting.

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 ➢ Waste collection:

The functional element of collection includes not only the gathering of solid wastes and
recyclable materials, but also the transport of these materials, after collection, to the
location where the collection vehicle is emptied. This location may be materials processing
facility, a transfer station, or a landfill disposal site. Collection depends on the number of
containers, frequency of collection, types of collection services and routes.

➢ Transfer and transport:

The functional element of transfer and transport involves two steps: (i) the transfer of
wastes from the smaller collection vehicle to the larger transport equipment and (ii) the
subsequent transport of the wastes, usually over long distances, to a processing or disposal
site. The transfer usually takes place at a transfer station.

➢ Processing:

Processing is required to alter the physical and chemical characteristics of wastes for
energy and resource recovery and recycling. The important processing techniques include
65 compaction, thermal volume reduction, manual separation of waste components,
incineration and composting.

➢ Recovery and recycling:

This includes various techniques, equipment’s and facilities used to improve both the
efficiency of disposal system and recovery of usable material and energy. Recovery
involves the separation of valuable resources from the mixed solid waste, delivered at
transfer station or processing plants. It also involves size reduction. The selection of any
recovery process is a function of economics, i.e. costs of separation versus the recovered –

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material products. Certain recovered material like glass, plastics, paper etc. can be recycled
as they have economic value.

➢ Disposal:

The final functional element in the solid waste management system is disposal. Today the
disposal of wastes by land filling or uncontrolled dumping is the ultimate fate of all solid
wastes, whether they are residential wastes collected and transported directly to a landfill
site, residual materials from Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs), residue from the
combustion of solid waste, rejects of composting, or other substances from various solid
waste-processing facilities. A municipal solid waste landfill plant is an engineered facility
used for disposing of solid wastes on land or within the earth’s mantle without creating
nuisance or hazard to public health or safety, such as breeding of rodents and insects and
contamination of groundwater.

3.6 MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE AND MANAGEMENT

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage in United States and
as refuses or rubbish in Britain, is a waste type consisting of everyday items that are
discarded by the public. Municipal solid waste is generated from households, hotels, office,
shops, schools and other institutions. Management of solid waste may be defined as that
discipline associated with the control of generation, storage, collection, transfer and
transport, processing, and disposal of solid wastes in a manner that is in accord with the
best principles of public health, economics, engineering, conservation, aesthetics, and other
environmental consideration. In this scope, solid waste management includes all
administrative, financial, legal, planning, and engineering functions involved in the whole
spectrum of solution to problems of solid wastes trust upon the community by its
inhabitants.

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3.7 IMPORTANCE OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

Planning the waste management and recycling for all the waste produced in a country is an
enormous task which involves both logistical planning and scientific knowledge and
understanding in order to balance the impact on the environment and the cost effectiveness
of process. Waste collection and disposal play an extremely important role in the global
cleanliness and sustainability drive, with people health and the conservation of resources
being the responsibility of every government. To ease the pressure on government
agencies, numerous privately managed organization also play a part in these waste
management and recycling programs. In a state like Kerala, where any action is reacted
with strikes and observations, waste disposal is not an exception. The main problem of
MSW management is its disposal. The most important reason for waste collection is the
protection of the environment and the health of the population. Rubbish and waste can
cause air and water pollution. Rotting garbage is also known to produce harmful gases that
mix with the air and can cause breathing problems in people. The issue of waste
management in India is of great importance and highly ignored at the same time, in public
psyche. At this rate, we will need more land to dispose of waste, more energy for its
transportation, emit more harmful gases and pollute our water, air and land. So solid waste
management is important due to following reasons:

➢ Improper waste management has harmful effect on plants, animals and others
beings.
➢ Probability of spreading diseases and epidemics.
➢ Increase in acidity of soil near the garbage heaps.
➢ Unexpected release of toxic and environmental pollution.
➢ Garbage dumps and decomposed waste helps many harmful species to breed in
them.
➢ Contaminates water and air, resulting into disease and dysentery in Human beings.

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3.9 Current problems

• Wastes are dumped even in drainages.

• There is no proper segregation and storage of mix waste at plant.

• Seasonal and daily variation of quantities of waste in relation to festivals and marriage.

• Leakage of lactate from vehicles particularly rainy season.

• Improper use of tools and equipment.

• Inadequacy of sweeping.

• Wastes are transported uncovered.

• The vehicle speculation does not comply with manual and guidelines.

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4.1 INTRODUCTION
Here the chapter presents the analysis and presentation of data collected. This chapter reveals the
effectiveness of solid waste management in Palakkad district
4.2 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
4.2.1 GENDER

Table 4.1
Gender

percentage of
gender no.of respondents respondents

male 72 72

female 28 28

total 100 100

Source: primary data

fig 4.1
Gender

80 72
70
60
50
40
28 no.of respondents
30
20
10
0
male female

Interpretation

72% of the respondents are male, while 28% are female.

[23]
4.2.2 Category of waste

Table 4.2

Category of waste
category of waste no.of respondents percentage of respondents

household 80 80

shop 16 16

other 4 4

Total 100 100

Source: primary data

Fig 4.2

Category of waste

80
80
70
60
50
40 no.of respondents

30
16
20
10 4

0
household shop other

Interpretation

80% of the respondents generate waste from households, 16% from shops, and 4% from other
sources.

[24]
4.2.3 Monthly income

Table 4.3

Monthly income

Monthly income no. of respondents percentage of respondents

Below 10000 40 40

10000-20000 36 36

20000-30000 18 18

Above 30000 6 6

Total 100 100

Source: primary data

Fig 4.3

Monthly income

45
40
40 36
35
30
25
20 18
no.of respondents
15
10 6
5
0
Below 10000 10000-20000 20000-30000 Above 30000

Interpretation

40% of the respondents have a monthly income below 10000, 36% have income between 10000
and 20000, 18% have income between 20000 and 30000, and 6% have income above 30000.

[25]
4.2.4 Ownership status

Table 4.4

Ownership status

Ownership status no.of respondents percentage of respondents

own 72 72

rent 28 28

total 100 100

Source: primary data

Fig 4.4

Ownership status

28%

own
rent

72%

Interpretation

72% of the respondents own their property, while 28% are on rent.

[26]
4.2.5 knowledge about solid waste management

Table 4.5

knowledge about solid waste management

knowledge No .of respondents percentage of respondents

yes 86 86

No 14 14

Total 100 100

Source: primary data

Fig 4.5

knowledge about solid waste management

86
90
80
70
60
50 no.of respondents
40
30
14
20
10
0
yes No

Interpretation

86% of the respondents have knowledge about solid waste management, while 14% do not.

[27]
4.2.6 Ways of knowledge

Table 4.6
Ways of knowledge

Ways

of knowledge no.of respondents percentage of respondents

over Tv 32 37.2

In public meeting 32 37.2

on poster 16 18.6

in radio 6 7

Total 86 100

Source: primary data

Fig 4.6
Ways of knowledge

32 32
35
30
25
20 16
15 no.of respondents
10 6
5
0
over Tv In public on poster in radio
meeting

Interpretation

Among those who have knowledge about solid waste management, 37.2% acquired it through TV,
another 37.2% in public meetings, 18.6% from posters, and 7% from radio

[28]
4.2.7 Solid waste in home

Table 4.7

Solid waste in home

solid waste in
home no.of respondents percentage of respondents

yes 76 76

no 24 24

total 100 100

Source: primary data

Fig 4.7

Solid waste in home

24%

yes
no

76%

Interpretation

76% of the respondents have solid waste in their homes, while 24% do not.

[29]
4.2.8 Education on proper waste disposal

Table 4.8

Education on proper waste disposal

Education no.of respondents percentage of respondents

yes 52 52

no 48 48

Total 100 100

Source: primary data

Fig 4.8

Education on proper waste disposal

53
52
52

51

50
no.of respondents
49
48
48

47

46
yes no

Interpretation

52% of the respondents have received education on proper waste disposal, while 48% have not.

[30]
4.2.9 Type of solid waste

Table 4.9

Type of solid waste

Type of solid
waste no.of respondents percentage of respondents

paper waste 25 25

plastic 35 35

food waste 30 30

glass 10 10

Total 100 100

Fig 4.9

Type of solid waste

35
35
30
30
25
25

20
no.of respondents
15
10
10

0
paper plastic food waste glass
waste

Interpretation

35% of the solid waste is plastic, 30% is food waste, 25% is paper waste, and 10% is glass.
[31]
4.2.10 Disposal of the collected waste

Table 4.10
Disposal of the collected waste

Disposal no.of respondents percentage of respondents

Dumping in bins 10 10

recycling 15 15

private collector 30 30

burning 25 25

give to haritha karma sena 20 20

Total 100 100

Source: primary data

Fig 4.10

Disposal of the collected waste

35
30
30
25
25
20
20
15
15
10
10 no.of respondents
5
0
Dumping recycling private burning give to
in bins collector haritha
karma
sena

Interpretation

30% of the respondents dispose of the collected waste through private collectors, 25% burn it, 20%
give it to Haritha Karma Sena, 15% recycle it, and 10% dump it in bins.

[32]
4.2.11 Amount of waste generated due to activities

Table 4.11
Amount of waste generated due to activities

amount of waste no.of respondents percentage of respondents

Below 1 kg 50 50

1-5kg 40 40

5-10kg 4 4

above 10kg 6 6

Total 100 100

Fig 4.11
Amount of waste generated due to activities

50
50 40
40
30
20 no.of respondents
4 6
10
0
Below 1 kg 1-5kg 5-10kg above
10kg

Interpretation

50% of the respondents generate waste below 1 kg due to activities, 40% generate 1-5 kg, 4%
generate 5-10 kg, and 6% generate above 10 kg..

[33]
4.2.12 Service of solid waste collection disposal from panchayath or municipality

Table 4.12

Service of solid waste collection disposal from Panchayath or municipality

Service no.of respondents percentage of respondents

yes 86 86

no 14 14

Total 100 100

Source: primary data

Fig 4.12
Service of solid waste collection disposal from panchayath or municipality

14%

yes
no

86%

Interpretation

86% of the respondents receive service for solid waste collection disposal from Panchayath or
Municipality, while 14% do not.

[34]
4.2.13 Frequency of waste collection

Table 4.13

Freequency of waste collection

Frequency no. of respondents percentage of respondents

daily 2 2

weekly 26 26

monthly 72 72

Total 100 100

Source: primary data

Fig 4.13

Freequency of waste collection

80 72
70
60
50
40 no.of respondents
26
30
20
10 2
0
daily weekly monthly

Interpretation

72% of the respondents have waste collection on a monthly basis, 26% on a weekly basis, and 2%
on a daily basis.

[35]
4.2.14 Nearness of public bins

Table 4.14

Nearness of public bins

Nearness no.of respondents percentage of respondents

yes 52 52

no 48 48

Total 100 100

Source: primary data

Fig 4.14

Nearness of public bins

52
52

51

50
no.of respondents
49
48
48

47

46
yes no

Interpretation

52% of the respondents have public bins near their location, while 48% do not.

[36]
4.2.15 Distance to public bins

Table 4.15

Distance to public bins

Distance no.of respondents percentage of respondents

5-10 minutes 54 54

11-15 minutes 40 40

16-20 minutes 6 6

Total 100 100

Source: primary data

Fig 4.15

Distance to public bins

60 54
50
40
40

30
no.of respondents
20

10 6

0
5-10 minutes 11-15 minutes 16-20 minutes

Interpretation

54% of the respondents have public bins at a distance of 5-10 minutes, 40% have them at 11-15
minutes, and 6% have them at 16-20 minutes.

[37]
4.2.16 State of public bin

Table 4.16
State of public bin

State no.of respondents percentage of respondents

In a good state 50 50

not in agood state 24 24

don't know 26 26

Total 100 100

Source: primary data

Fig 4.16

State of public bin

50
50
40
24 26
30
20 no.of respondents

10
0
In a good not in agood don't know
state state

Interpretation

50% of the respondents find public bins to be in a good state, 24% do not, and 26% are unsure.

[38]
4.2.17 Problems due to solid waste

Table 4.17

Problems due to solid waste

Problems no.of respondents percentage of respondents

foul smell 50 50

pollution 24 24

infection diseases 26 26

Total 100 100

Source: primary data

Fig 4.17

Problems due to solid waste

50
50

40

24 26
30
no.of respondents
20

10

0
foul smell pollution infection
diseases

Interpretation

50% of the respondents face foul smell issues due to solid waste, 26% face infection diseases, and
24% face pollution problems.

[39]
4.2.18 Illegal dumping of waste

Table 4.18

Illegal dumping of waste

Illegal dumping no.of respondents percentage of respondents

yes 66 66

no 34 34

Total 100 100

Source: primary data

Fig 4.18

Illegal dumping of waste

66
70

60

50
34
40 no.of respondents
30

20

10

0
yes no

Interpretation

66% of the respondents have witnessed illegal dumping of waste, while 34% have not.

[40]
4.2.19 Diseases caused by solid waste

Table 4.19

Diseases caused by solid waste

Diseases No .of respondents percentage of respondents

yes 56 56

no 44 44

Total 100 100

Source: primary data

Fig 4.19

Diseases caused by solid waste

56
60

50 44

40
no.of respondents
30

20

10

0
yes no

Interpretation

56% of the respondents believe that solid waste causes diseases, while 44% do not.

[41]
4.2.20 Awareness programmes of district

Table 4.20
Awareness programmes of district

Awareness
programme No .of respondents percentage of respondents

yes 66 66

no 34 34

Total 100 100

Source: primary data

Fig 4.20

Awareness programmes of district

66
70

60

50
34
40 no.of respondents
30

20

10

0
yes no

Interpretation

66% of the respondents are aware of the awareness programs conducted by the Panchayath, while
34% are not.

[42]
4.2.21 opinion about plastic ban

Table 4.21

opinion about plastic ban

Opinion no.of respondents percentage of respondents

excellent 32 32

good 54 54

average 12 12

poor 2 2

Total 100 100

Source: primary data

Fig 4.21

opinion about plastic ban

60 54

50

40 32
30 no.of respondents

20 12
10 2
0
excellent good averege poor

Interpretation
54% of the respondents have a good opinion about the plastic bins, 32% find them excellent,
12% average, and 2% poor.

[43]
FINDINGS

• Majority of the respondents belonging tomale category.

• Most of the respondents comes under the category of household.
• It is seen that all persons generate different types of waste from daily activities.
• Majority of the income respondents comes under the category below 10000.
• Most of the respondents know about solid waste management through TV and public
meetings
• Most of the respondents have solid waste in their home
• It is seen that all person generate different types of waste from daily activities.
• Mostly households and shops are generating below 1 kg waste
• Most of the respondents have public bins near to them
• Majority of respondents said that public bin is in a good state
• Majority of respondents dispose waste through private collector
• Number of respondents says that district effectively engaged in waste collection and
disposal.
• Increasing population and changing life style is the reason for increasing waste.
• Number of respondents get service of waste collection from district and also certain
respondents not bothered about the services and activities.
• Many of them collect waste monthly
• district provide waste bin for putting waste generated.
• Increased pollution are main problem faced by people due to illegal dumping of waste.
• Number of respondent said that there is a high level of illegal dumping of waste.
• The general public is not aware about the consequences of illegal dumping of waste.
• district is conduct seminars and meeting to educate people regarding importance of waste
management.
• Most of the respondents are having neutral opinion about the plastic ban.
• People included in household are most efficient in solid waste management.
• Many of them does not aware about the district’s activities for waste collection.

[44]
SUGGESTIONS

SUGGESTIONS TO DISTRICT

1. To formulate proper waste management policy.

2. Promote harithakarmasena
3. Waste disposal plant should be provided and promotion to generate bios from the waste
should be encouraged by giving subsidiary to every household.
4. To spread awareness through cable TV and local channel as there are very powerful
media to create awareness for public about solid waste management
5. Determine the land for dumping the waste which shouldn’t affect general public.
6. Ensure the necessary facilities for collection and disposal of solid waste.
7. To provide further waste bin.
8. A heavy amount should be charged as penalty for violators.
9. Ensure free flow of drains. Drains should be cleared properly and timely to avoid
choking.
10. To provide sufficient community garbage storage facilities
11. To conduct meeting and seminars to educate people regarding the importance of waste
management.

SUGGESTION TO SOCIETY

1. Reduce the quantity of waste.

2. Reduce the usage of plastic carry bags.
3. Recycle the possible waste.
4. Use kitchen waste as manure to plants and for use in bio-gas projects.
5. Put waste in waste bin.
6. Keep your home and surroundings clean and waste free

[45]
CONCLUSION

Waste management is definitely more than merely tackling household waste. It is the science that
deals with collection, transport, processing, recycling or disposal, monitoring of waste material
and prevention of waste. Human ways of life have placed pressure on the environment and have
caused imbalance in the eco systems by the producing, consuming and wasting of natural
resources. Most countries evidently have major effects on the environment due to SW generation
with economic development since the natural resources are used, and waste and pollution are
produced. Therefore, the concern towards the management of solid waste as an integral part for
sustainable development has increased. It is clear that improper waste management practices
have a significant impact on the natural environment and sustainable development in the study
area.

This study was conducted to assess effectiveness of solid waste management in

Palakkad district. There were four research objectives to be achieved with the study. From this
study it is clear that waste management in Palakkad district is average because of insufficient
equipment‘s, improper waste management etc…. District is unable to offer the desired level of
services with existing capacity. Therefore, it is important that the Solid Waste Management
should be developed from the primary level. Waste storage and primary disposal are the
dominant means of managing waste. Thus, it has caused significant challenges in the study area.
Therefore, waste separation from the household level, proper storage, more efficient waste
collection systems, and sustainable recovery and disposal practices are identified as needed
processes in the study area. Considering the nature and components of waste generated by
households and business places, the waste reduction, reuse, recycling and composting processes
would be more suitable in managing the challenge. Public education and properly planned waste
management programs also need to be introduced into the current waste management system.
Especially awareness programs must be conducted in order to improve the knowledge about the
importance of Solid Waste Management for sound environmental development in the area. The
authorities should provide for the introduction of complimentary programs and policy
development.
Finally, it can be recommended that individual level capacity and awareness towards
cleanliness should be grown first. Then promotion of appropriate technology and replication of
good practices, establishment of legislative and enforcement mechanism, development of linkage
and partnership program should be adopted and implemented for a better waste management
system. If we can change our habit and manage our waste properly, we can keep a healthy and
livable environment for our next generation.

[46]
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[49]
 QUESTIONNAIRE
I am Deepika kv 4th semester mcom student I am doing on the project topic “Solid waste
management in Kerala with special reference to Ottapalam taluk”

1. Gender
Male
Female
other

2. Category of waste
House hold
Shop
other

3. Monthly Income
Below 10000
10000-20000
20000-30000
Above 30000

4. Ownership status
Own
Rent
Other

5. Have you ever heard about solid waste management

Yes
No

6. If yes, in what way

Our tv
In public meeting
On poster
Other

7. Do you have solid waste in your home

Yes
No

[50]
8. Have you ever been educated on proper waste disposal
Yes
No

9. What type of solid waste comes out from your house hold
Papper waste
Plastic
Food waste
Glass
Other

10. Where did you usually put away the collected waste
Dumbing in bins
Recycling
Private collector
Burning

11. Do you know how much waste is generated due to your activities
Below 1kg
1-5kg
5-10kg
Above 10kg

12. Are you getting the service of solid waste collection disposal from
panchayath/municipality
Yes
No

13. What is the frequency of waste collection

Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Other

14. Are there any public bins near your house

Yes
No

[51]
15. If yes, how long does it take to get them
5-10 minutes
11-15 minutes
16-20 minutes
Other

16. How can you describe the state of public bin near your house
Ina good state
Not in a good condition
Don’t know

17. What are the problems you faced due to solid waste
Foul smell
Pollution
Infection disease
Other

18. Have you noticed any illegal dumping of waste

Yes
No

19. Have you noticed any disease caused by municipal waste

Yes
No

20. State your opinion regarding the efficiency of equipment’s and technologies
used by panchayath in waste management
Equipment’s
Gloves and mask for waste collectors
Metal tray and plate
Trolley
Trucks
Secondary storage bin

21. Is your panchayath conducting seminars and meetings to educate people

regarding important of solid waste management
Yes
No

[52]
22. What is your opinion about plastic ban
Excellent
Good
Average
Poor

23. Do you have any suggestion improving waste management

Yes
No
If yes, specify

[53]