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Harnessing wet waste offers a dual solution for urban India
Context:
Urban India’s swelling landfills and worsening air quality demand urgent waste solutions.
Waste management in urban India:
- Waste management in urban India, especially Delhi, faces critical challenges due to the growing volume of waste and deteriorating air quality.
- Delhi generates over 10,000 tonnes of waste daily, with landfills like Ghazipur, Bhalswa, and Okhla nearing capacity.
- The focus on wet waste management offers dual benefits: solving waste management challenges and producing renewable energy.
Waste Composition in India:
- 50-60% of urban waste is wet waste; 30-35% is dry waste (CPCB 2022).
- Only 12 wards in Delhi practice proper waste segregation (Economic Survey 2023-24).
Importance of Tackling Wet Waste:
- Mixed waste in landfills leads to methane emissions, contributing to landfill fires.
- Methane and other harmful chemicals like carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) worsen Delhi’s air pollution.
- Wet waste contamination affects the quality of recyclables, increasing occupational hazards for waste pickers.
Challenges with Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Plants:
- WtE plants in Delhi struggle due to the high moisture content in waste, causing incomplete combustion and higher emissions (TERI 2021).
- Incineration of mixed waste releases harmful pollutants like carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide.
The Role of Waste Pickers:
- Waste pickers recycle nearly 20% of Delhi’s solid waste but face challenges due to poor segregation (Chintan 2022).
- Better wet waste management would reduce contamination and improve the value of recyclables.
Biogas Plants: An Eco-Friendly Solution:
- Biogas plants convert wet waste into renewable energy through anaerobic digestion.
- This process generates biogas for electricity, cooking, or heating and produces fertiliser as a byproduct.
- Small-scale biogas plants can be set up in households or communities, promoting decentralised waste management.
Feasibility in Dense Urban Areas:
- Household biogas digesters require only 1-2 square meters, making them ideal for small spaces.
- Community biogas plants can process 50-100 kg of waste and provide energy for communal use.
- These systems reduce the need for large landfills and provide a sustainable energy source.
Collaboration and Government Support:
- RWAs in Delhi have piloted successful small-scale biogas systems, reducing wet waste by 30% and providing energy for community use.
- Government programs like the National Biogas and Manure Management Programme and GOBARdhan scheme offer subsidies for biogas plant installation.
- Waste pickers can be formally integrated into biogas plant operations, improving the quality of recyclables and reducing waste sent to landfills.
Conclusion:
- Biogas plants present a sustainable solution for Delhi’s waste crisis, reducing air pollution, empowering waste pickers, and generating renewable energy.
- Collaboration between citizens, RWAs, policymakers, and the government is crucial for implementing small-scale biogas systems and fostering a cleaner, healthier city.
