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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

The environmental issues happening in the recent years may seem very small to the human Mankind but still its having an bombarding effect on them, many people are still un aware of The environmental problems that the human mankind is facing through, and also people doesnt Even know that these problems will have an serious problem only on their family and only on Their generation which is to come in the future, the fact is something that people know that there Are serious problems happening in the society and also in the environment which is around them But the real perspective of the people, and the way they see these problems, is very different and Very lethargic too, and also the way through which they approach the problem pulls us off, the Problem with human mankind when it comes to environmental issues is that man always sees The environment as an external factor only, he doesnt tend to understand that it is completely Related to him and him alone, and also any environmental problem unless and until it affects the Individual he sees it as an external problem but doesnt seem to understand that its going to only Affect his generation which is to come, so in order to face these problems the existing human Mankind must first change its perspective of viewing the problems and also its way of approach On how to face it, even if we are not able to solve the problem completely and eradicate it we Can at least try and bring it down to the minimum possible level, and thereby building an strong Environment and having a good relationship with it which in the modern world we call as Eco-friendly without knowing the proper meaning of it and the purpose of it, thus by having a

Tight bonding with the environment it is possible for us to create a healthy ad strong mankind Which will serve as an piece of cake to the forthcoming generations, to live a strong, healthy and Good life to get the fruit of success in life, environmental problems is something like a chain reaction Where if one is ignited it keeps on giving birth to the others in the same way if it affects a person Through him it affects his household then his neighbours and finally his society. The core of life Is something like the more we live the more we achieve so in order to live a long lasting life without help of an proper environment it is impossible lets try creating an healthy and clean environment to live long and achieve success. My project is based on Increase in garbage dumping and consequences As we discussed earlier the main problem with the people is that they dont take up issue as an issue. They keep on postponing it, one of the serious problems in the present day is the increase in garbage Dumping through out the city we can find a lot of garbage being dumped all over the cites especially in India the dumping is more the people and the environment is affected to an large extent due to an increase In garbage wastes and people dont know how to get rid of it and they go and throw it up in an commonplace where it gets piled up and finally becomes an junkyard. WHAT IS A GARBAGE WASTE? IS IT SO IMPORTANT?

Wastes are of two types BIO DEGRADABLE and NON-BIODEGRADABLE as the name says bio degradable are those which can be recycled non-biodegradable are those which cannot be recycled Or things which cant be used any more which are called the garbage wastes as these useless things Keeps on piling up and at one point we dont know how to get rid of it, if there is one pile its not a Big problem but if there is piles in each and every nook and corner of the city then it sounds hazardous Right Thats what is happening in the society right now. the amount of garbage wastes that come from each and every household is terrifying day by day .my project is mainly focused on this if not today We are going to think of this then its never going to happen at any time these garbage wastes creates Serious problems to us there is an lot of infections being caused by these wastes ,a classic example for

Understanding this problem is say for example we go for an marriage and after the function the wastes Will be dumped just now let us think how will it smell the next day ,after the next day,after three days, After a week,we cant even imagine how it smells and what are all the problems we will be facing due to It now let us imagine the same waste which is there for a week ,if it is in our home then how will ouHome smell will it be like a land of perfume. We cant even imagine the infections and smell that willCome out of it the same thing is happening to our society.here is an picture of an pile being dumped in the city .

Now if this is not going to come under control we will end up in trouble we going to majorly focus On those issues in this projectand also how there is an increase in garbage wastes happening moreover What is the government based company is doing on it and finally the most important thing that what

Are all the consequences we are facing through this increase in garbage wastes ,all these questions Are being answered through various ways of approach to the public.and also by means of survey To say the real truth this has become an very big hindrance to the working people and also in midst Of households, and also people who happily throw the garbage in the midst of the roads and streets Are not aware of the problems being caused by the increase in it and what are all the serious infections It will cause to the public , the project is mainly focused on the awareness that people should posses on. This increase in garbage dumping and its consequences, so that they will act wisely.

CHAPTER 2

SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY As said earlier this problem of garbage disposal is becoming a big hindrance to the society . the scope is a detailed study of what we are actually going to do. and what is the problem that we are actually going to see is that we are going to focus majorly on 3 things. The objectives of the project are

1. why there is an increase in the garbage wastes? 2. what is the government contracted company doing ? in what way they are helpful to the society? 3. Consequences of garbage dumping?

The procedure by which all these things are being approached is explained in the part of the methodology but before that we need to understand the depth of the problem that is the scope of the problem what is actually the problem ,which is the hindrance here though we know what is it about we dont have an proper and a deep idea on it so we need to look through the scope of the problem.

Garbage Dumping

The stench and ugly sight of garbage dumped on the roadside, sometimes overflowing from drains or floating on the surface of rivers, is not at all uncommon in India. It is disgusting, until you get used to it and begin to ignore it. Why there is an increase in garbage? Indias garbage generation stands at 0.2 to 0.6 kilograms of garbage per head per day. Also, it is a well known fact that land in India is scarce. The garbage collector who comes to your house every morning to empty your dustbins inside his truck, takes all the garbage from your neighborhood and dumps it on an abandoned piece of land. Garbage collectors from all parts of the city meet there to do the same. Such a land is called a landfill. Indias per capita waste generation is so high, that it creates a crisis if the garbage collector doesnt visit a neighborhood for a couple of days. Typically, each household waits for the garbage boy with two or three bags of trash. If he doesnt turn up, the garbage becomes too much to store in the house. The household help or maid of the house will then be instructed to take the bags, walk a few yards away probably towards the end of the lane and dump the bags there. Seeing one household, all the others in the neighborhood immediately follow suit. This land, at the end of the lane, soon becomes the neighborhoods very own garbage dump a convenient place to dump anything if the garbage boy doesnt show up. Of course, when the quantity of the waste becomes too much to bear then diseases are feared, the residents would march up to their colonys welfare association and demand for the waste to be cleaned up at once. The waste will then be picked up from there and dumped in another piece of land this time further away from the colony probably in a landfill. People in India also litter excessively. The sweeper again sends all this garbage to the local dump, from where it finally goes to a landfill.

At the end of the day, it is safe to say that all garbage gets dumped in a certain piece of land (called a landfill). Why is Waste a Problem? As already mentioned, waste disposal in India simply involves rounding up the waste from different parts of the city, and dumping everything in a landfill. Once a landfill is completely occupied, a new landfill is discovered in a different part of the city. The Energy Research Institute estimates that 1400 sq. km. of land would be required by 2047 for municipal waste! Cities those are fortunate enough to have a river passing through them, have an additional dump for all their garbage. The state of the Yamuna River in Delhi is a testimony to this fact. The river practically doesnt flow at all. Expansive white deposits can be seen on their surfaces that prevent the flow. The deposits are nothing but toxic wastes that have reacted with the water. Practically no living creature lives in this section of the river. The landfill method is simply one that creates land pollution (and in some cases, ground water contamination). The waste is not subjected to recycling, composting, or any other form of environmental treatment. Hazardous toxic wastes lie side by side with the organic wastes in the landfill. The waste disposal issue has been given a small budget by the Government. Limited by this, the municipalities are ill-equipped to deal with the massive amounts of waste they collect everyday. Another problem is their inefficiency in collecting the waste. Currently, their efficiency is only about 50 to 80 per cent. The common man living in a populated urban city can tell you that the garbage boy seems to take holidays every now and then. The real problem is that he has collected so much that he cant store any more trash in his truck for the day, which is why he seems to take a holiday and does not come to your house. On the one hand, we can blame the municipality for not having enough resources to collect all the garbage. On the other hand, we ourselves are to blame for generating such huge amounts of garbage.

What Can be Done About it? Firstly, it is imperative on the part of municipalities to separate the biodegradable from nonbiodegradable waste. Biodegradable wastes can then be subjected to composting, which is a process of converting plant and animal wastes to humus by soil microorganisms. Humus enhances the fertility of soil. Non-biodegradable wastes then further have to be categorized on the basis of their toxicity. Toxic wastes, when dumped in the land, may eventually contaminate and poison ground water. They have to be stored in tightly sealed underground containers. Wastes like plastic, metal, paper etc can also be subjected to recycling. In some ways, the waste can actually serve as a resource! Of course, all of the above requires a hike in the waste disposal budget. The municipalities need to be taught the technologies described above so that they can deal with the waste effectively. As individuals, we need to realize that we do generate quite a lot of waste we dispose of containers that can be reused and we throw away papers that can be recycled. It is important to reduce our wastage of resources so that we dont pressurize our weak waste disposal system. Environmental Problems Landfills Cause The environmental problems caused by landfills are numerous. Landfills produce emissions, substances, which are often toxic, that enter the air or water. They may contribute to the depletion of the Ozone layer. They can harm wildlife. There are two areas of emissions considered the largest concerns: atmosphere emissions and water emissions.

Atmospheric Emissions Emissions from landfills enter the atmosphere. When they do, they can travel anywhere. Main problems here include noise emissions, dust emissions and bio-aerosol emissions. These are often a cause of the operation of the landfill, but still contribute to the larger environmental problem. In addition to these, one of the largest concerns is the production of landfill gas. Over time, the garbage in a landfill breaks down. It creates a chemical mess, filled with toxins entering the atmosphere as gases. Landfill gas occurs virtually as soon as a landfill comes about and may continue to be in production for hundreds of years. Water Emission The atmosphere often takes a hit when it comes to landfill gases, but water is also a very real risk. The initial problem is with watercourses. This includes everything from the ditches located near the landfill to the rivers and streams miles away. The rain will wash over the landfill, allowing debris, but more commonly toxins, to wash into these watercourses. In addition, water emissions may happen at a much lower level. If groundwater is polluted at a landfill site, the water can penetrate into the strata below the surface of the Earth, polluting some of the most important sources of fresh water.

Additional landfill environmental problems Emissions are not the only types of problems associated with landfills. A closer look can show why so many much needed changes are so difficult to come by.

Landfill Fires: Landfill gasses, and the shear amount of landfill waste, can easily ignite a fire. Fires can be difficult to put out and contribute to the pollution of the air and water. They can also potentially destroy habitats nearby if not controlled soon enough.

Decomposition: Some landfills get filled and then covered over to allow decomposition to take place. Yet, it is not always accurate how long it will take some items to decompose. Products that are natural, such as wasted fruits and vegetables, will decompose within weeks while items like baby diapers, soda cans and glass bottles may take as long as 500 years to decompose.

Landfill Leakage: The design of many of the newest landfills keeps many of these leakage problems at bay, but there are still risks. Landfill gases and waste materials may leak from the landfill. This can lead to environmental problems including toxic exposure to water.

Voluntary Systems in Action to collect Garbage and Rehabilitate

Garbage Collection in Chennai, India

The issue of garbage collection has been a nightmare in a country like India with a population of over a billion people. Government-run municipal corporations work on subsidized labor and the system is hard to sustain. It is common to see garbage strewn on the streets, causing serious health hazards for the populace. Such a state of affairs has traditionally been a reason to abuse the government of the time. However, one city took a different approach Chennai (then called Madras). Concerned entrepreneurs decided this was too important to leave to the government. In 1989, they formed EXNORA (EXcellent NOvel and RAdical), an organization dedicated to generating ideas for civic improvement.

Their first act came when the corporation of Chennai decided to experiment with hydrocontainers. For this to succeed, garbage would have to be placed directly in the containers so corporation workers could directly load them onto trucks. These containers were placed at the end of each street so that garbage could be directly placed in it instead of being strewn around a dump. However, residents found it inconvenient to haul their garbage all the way to the containers. Meanwhile rag pickers were known to create a mess on the roads by picking at the garbage in the regular corporation bins.

The entrepreneurs at EXNORA found this to be a great opportunity. They took a loan from a bank to buy a tricycle cart and also pay a monthly salary of Rs. 650 ($14.44) to the rag pickers, who were now called street beautifiers. The street beautifier would collect garbage into the cart each morning from the homes on the street and put it in the container, and thereafter sweep the street. In return, every household on the street would contribute Rs. 10 (22 cents) per month toward the salary of the street beautifier.

This experiment was extremely successful on the street it was tried on. It was soon replicated across the city. As of 1999, there were 900-950 civic EXNORAs functioning across the city. Each body is self-managing. The success in the city of Chennai has led to the adoption of this model in other cities, and United Nations has picked this up as a stellar model for developing countries.

Today, EXNORA has moved beyond garbage collection to environmental protection and management, discovering entrepreneurial opportunities at each step. EXNORA seems to be a textbook case of a voluntary system in action. First, a self-sustaining business model drove it. Second, it involved participation of society at a local (street) level without the application of force. If enough people did not join, then the model would not sustain, and their street would not be clean.

This is a view of the scope of the problem of whats happening actually whats the result of result of garbage disposal and everything the next step is methodology iam going to tell in what way I am going to approach the objectives and what kind of data I am going to use whether it is an primary data or secondry data and on what basis am I going to use those datas.

Here are some pictures which shows the extent of garbage being dumped in Chennai.

DO u see the name the garbage box is holding NEEL METAL FANALCAthis is my third objective of what the govt contracted company is actually doing.

WHO WILL CLEAN UP THE MESS IN CHENNAI ROADS?

DO U SEE WHATS WRITTEN ON THE BIN IN TAMIL IT IS WRITTEN AS CHENNAI CORPORATION. THIS IS THE PRESENT SITUATION OF HOW THE GOVERNMENT IS HELPFUL FOR THE PEOPLE. METHODOLOGY The methodology for this project is going to be in two ways the first is by having discussion with the peoples and how often do they dispose their garbage and if so by what means and also then also by having a survey to the places where there is more garbage where the garbages are being dumped having a talk with the homes that is present surrounding it and by asking them about what all the problems they are facing due to this piling up of garbages on the roads and also near to their homes.this covers my first two objectives. The second method is going to be by a means of an questionnaire about a sample size of 25 of about what they feel about the govt contracted company (NEEL METAL FANALCA)in Chennai do they really prove to be helpful do they help them actually in the disposal of garbages this is the methodology I am going to follow.

REVIEWS

Garbage burning sets off problems for Ambattur


Every summer, the problems of burning garbage in the Athipet dumping yard and erratic waste clearance revisit the residents of Ambattur. For the past few days, garbage heaped up on many streets of Ambattur is waiting to be cleared. S. Nagarajan, a resident of Mogappair, said door-to-door collection is often disrupted in the wards maintained by the Ambattur Municipality and Neel Metal Fanalca, a private agency involved in clearing waste in 25 wards. Besides door-to-door collection, street cleaning is still neglected in most wards. Garden waste is not cleared for nearly a month. The areas around the Athipet dumping yard are covered with smoke emanating from the garbage that burns throughout the day. Residents of Ayapakkam said the problem intensified during summer. The garbage suddenly catches fire during summer owing to the emission of various gases from the waste heaped up for several years. K.Vijayalakshmi, a resident of Mahatma Gandhi Nagar, Ambattur, said she has been living in the area behind the dump yard for over seven years. Burning of garbage owing to summer flare-ups is a regular feature. My children often suffer from respiratory problem because of this. Traffic also gets affected as the vehicles wait on Vanagaram Road for unloading garbage. We have represented to the Ambattur municipality officials several times about the problem. Uma Kannan, councillor of ward 32, said many localities, including Ayapakkam, Kalaivanar Nagar, ICF Colony and up to parts of Mogappair, are affected because of the burning. School students also complain of the problem.

Residents alleged that the local body did not take measures to solve the problem as burning of garbage provides dumping space in the nearly 5.3 acre yard, which is full. Responding to the residents' complaints, officials of the Ambattur Municipality said that they sought the help of Fire and Rescue Services personnel recently to put off the fire. Water from the two bore wells in the dumping yard and tankers is being used to douse the fire. The local body generates nearly 250 tonnes of garbage daily. Collection of garden waste has been reduced as it would increase the burning of waste. Though garbage acollection has resumed, there is a delay in lorries unloading waste.

THIS IS BASED ON TWO THINGS ONE IS WHAT IS THE PROBLEM FACED OR CONSEQUENSES WHICH IS MY THIRD OBJECTIVE.AND ALSO WHAT PUBLIC FEELS ON THE GOVT CONTRACTED COMPANY.

Employees of Neel Metal Fanalca clear the waste at South Mada Street in Tiruvanmiyur.
Chennai:

It was one problem that could not be swept under the carpet. Thousands of residents in the

city had a nasty shock when piles of garbage got accumulated on streets in Ice House, Kodambakkam and Adyar zones. The situation has improved after the Chennai Corporation initiated a massive clean-up drive but many city residents have two questions: What went wrong during the shift from CES Onyx to Neel Metal Fanalca? What are the measures taken to avoid such a situation in the future?

Representatives from Neel Metal Fanalca found it difficult to give convincing answers to these questions at a press conference here on Monday. S. Pattabhiraman, vice-president of Neel Metal Fanalca Environment Management, said they found that they had to handle more waste than they had prepared for. There was a heavy backlog after the previous contractor wound up operations, he said. Another reason cited was the delay in arrival of bins owing to a fire in the manufacturers factory. We also had a problem in retaining manpower. We had taken on 2,700 workers but now we only have 1,200 workers, Mr. Pattabhiraman said. When asked if workers had said wages were insufficient, the official said that the salary would be increased once the workers gained experience. At present, garbage collectors on the streets have been hired for Rs. 3,000 per month. Juan Sebastian Cajio from Fanalca S.A. said the initial problems would be ironed out and a source segregation system would be implemented. Fanalca had plenty of experience in handling municipal solid waste in South American countries but Chennai was the first Asian project, he said. Neel Metal Fanalca has promised to bring in 3,700 bins, 32 compactors and 10 hook-loader machines within a month. Consumer court case Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group filed a petition against the Chennai Corporation and Neel Metal Fanalca before the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. In its counter-affidavit, Neel Metal Fanalca said that up to August 25, Onyx alone was responsible for removal of garbage. However, the respondent company had even removed the garbage accumulation of August 25 the next day. The company had done the proper clearance as per the terms of agreement and there was no negligence of service as alleged, the counter-affidavit said. Due to vehicle registration and other formalities, it could not ply the unnumbered vehicles on August 26 and 27; but the whole process was completed on August 28, Neel Metal Fanalca said. The entire garbage was removed from August 29. The company assured the Commission that there may not be any complaint in future.

The Corporation had to face a deluge of criticism for failing to foresee problems in the transition. The recent Corporation Council meet was a stormy session .The Corporation had asked CES Onyx, previous contractor, to extend its stay but it was only four days after the garbage pile-up that the firm agreed to step in. The civic body had to divert some of its manpower and trucks from other zones to clear the garbage in the Ice House, Kodambakkam and Adyar zones. This affected garbage clearance in the city as a whole. Garbage woes made news in the city over the last few days but suburban residents have also been constantly battling the problem. Though the Commissionerate of Municipal Administration has chalked out elaborate plans on solid waste management, they still remain only on paper. Mounds of garbage waiting clearance for several days are a regular feature in several western suburbs. Ambattur Municipality, which produces 200 tonnes of garbage daily, faces the problem despite privatisation of waste disposal in about 20 wards out of 52. The situation is no different in the local body of Avadi. Ambattur Muncipality, which was to share space with Avadi for composting in Sekkadu, could not proceed further owing to a protest by the locals. It is now planning to share space near Kuthambakkam village along with other local bodies such as Tiruverkadu, Valasarawakkam and Maduravoyal. Rapid, unplanned growth in the southern suburbs has led to solid waste management problems there. Barring a few examples where voluntary organisations and residents join the initiative, for instance in Mudichur and Pammal, most local bodies dump waste in ponds, tanks and lakes. The three big municipalities Alandur, Pallavaram and Tambaram transfer waste to a common dump, where the waste is burned or let to decay. The collective output of garbage of six municipalities, 11 town panchayats and 25 village panchayats in Tambaram area would be close to 1,000 tonnes a day, officials of the Department of Municipal Administration and Water Supply said. In Pammal Municipality and Mudichur village panchayat, garbage is segregated and kitchen waste converted into organic manure and plastic waste recycled. This model could be extended to other local bodies with very little investment, said Exnora Club members, who started the programme. Looking ahead

The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authoritys (CMDA) draft second master plan recommends guidelines on the disposal of wastes . According to a 1996 study by Environmental Resources Management , 68 per cent of the citys solid waste comes from households. A 2006 report of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute said that 51.34 per cent of waste generated in Chennai is organic. Citing this statistic, the draft plan said there was a higher potential for composting rather than refusedriven fuel and waste-to-energy projects. By 2026, the Chennai Metropolitan Area is expected to generate 6,590 tonnes of waste excluding debris. Micro-level planning, a revenue model for waste management and ensuring community participation are crucial to deal with garbage problem..

Is based on the survey of what exactly the govt contracted company NEEL METAL FANALCA is doing.

ANALYSIS

What is Waste is it a Problem? Wastes are variety of materials that are no longer required by people. We usually call this garbage. Waste is a natural by-product of any process on Earth and cannot be avoided. Nature reuses all of its by-products, with no waste in the end. What is waste for one is useful for another. For example dead leaves decompose to provide nutrients to plants and oxygen released from trees is used by us. We humans, however, have disturbed this balance by bringing in new problems such as toxicand nondegradable wastes and even nuclear wastes into the environment. Even normal solid waste is now a problem because there is too much of it. Studies show that on an average, each person in urban areas produces half a kilogram of garbage each day. This doesnt include the garbage we make indirectly - through industry, agriculture and mining. Twenty per cent of Indians live in urban areas. This calculates to more than 36 million tons of garbage each year in cities alone ! Though waste generated has increased, the way we deal with the disposal of waste has not changed in over ten thousand years. We pile it and then burn it, or bury it in some out-of-the-way place where we forget about it. But today, we are faced with too much garbage and not enough places left to throw it away. Improper disposal of solid wastes has lead to ground water contamination, air pollution, health hazards etc.

The problem of garbage THE YEAR 1994 saw Surat go down in the annals of history as the city which witnessed the worst case of epidemic plague. One of the primary reasons for the epidemic was the accumulated filth and garbage which acted as a breeding ground for rodents. Surat has since revamped the entire garbage

disposal system and is now acknowledged as one of the cleanest cities in India. Other cities in India, however, have a long way to go with respect to garbage disposal/solid waste management. Article 243W read with the twelfth schedule of the Constitution fastens the responsibility of solid waste management (SWM) on the municipalities. SWM is a mandatory function of the municipality, yet this aspect of civic administration has not received its due attention. A public interest litigation was filed in the Supreme Court in 1998 to direct the local bodies as well as the Government of India and the State Governments to improve the SWM practices. The Supreme Court thereafter appointed a committee to look into all aspects of solid waste management and submit a report to it. The report known as the Barman Committee report, after the Chairman, was submitted in March 1999. The Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000 (the "Rules") was issued by the Central Government pursuant to this report, in exercise of its powers under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (the "EPA"). The Rules have substantially incorporated the recommendations of the committee and made an attempt to delineate responsibilities and cast duties on the citizens as well as the municipalities for SWM. Local bodies like Municipal Corporation/ Council/Nagar Panchayat have the responsibility to enforce these Rules. Under the Rules a wide spectrum of functions are to be undertaken by local bodies such as collection, segregation, storage, transportation, processing and disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW). The main functions include: (i) Prohibit littering on the street. (ii) Organise house to house waste collection and notify the public about the schedule and the methodology of collection. (iii) Conduct awareness programmes to disseminate information to the public and hold regular meetings with the resident welfare groups and NGOs. (iv) Devise ways to collect waste from unsanitary and difficult areas such as slums, hotels, restaurants, office complexes and commercial areas.

(v) Build adequate storage facilities taking into account the population density so as to prevent overflowing of trash cans. (vi) Colour-code waste bins so as to promote segregation of waste at source green for biodegradable, white for recyclable wastes and black for other wastes. (vii) The wastes are to be transported only in closed vans to avoid spilling of wastes. (viii) Dispose of the collected wastes by adopting any of the prescribed methods such as vermincomposting, anaerobic digestion, incineration, pelletisation, etc. Landfill is to be adopted for inert waste. The participation of the citizens is an underlying principle of these Rules. Towards this the citizens have two main responsibilities: 1. Avoid littering and ensure the delivery of wastes in accordance with the delivery system notified by the respective local body. 2. Segregation of waste at source. A law is only as good as its implementation. Most local authorities are yet to take steps to implement these Rules. The first deadline for improving landfill sites passed on March 31, 2001. The local authorities have cited financial constraints as the main reason for non-enforcement. But the Supreme Court in Municipal Council, Ratlamvs. Vardhichand categorically stated that financial constraints do not absolve a municipality from performing its functions. Citizens have to take an interest in solving the problem of solid waste. Vigilant citizens' groups can make a difference. The Environment Protection Act under which these Rules have been issued has provided a window for citizens to take initiative. Under Section 19 of the Act a citizen can give a complaint to the court for an offence under the Act after giving 60 days notice of the alleged offence and the intent to file a complaint with the government official authorised to make such complaints. In addition to this, the citizens can give a complaint under Section 133 of the Criminal Procedure Code to the magistrate, asking him to issue orders to remove a public nuisance. A citizen may also seek the remedy of a writ of mandamus under Article 32 or Article 226 of the Constitution. While writs under

Article 32 only relate to fundamental rights, writs under Article 226 can be issued for enforcement of fundamental rights and "for any other purpose". Non-disposal of garbage is a serious environmental risk and hence would be a violation of Article 21 which guarantees the "Right to Life". However writ remedy is given very cautiously by the courts. Additionally, if the local bodies impose a fee for the performance of solid waste management services a remedy may be available under the Consumer Protection Act also. This remedy is however subject to the immunities and redress mechanism provided for in the Local Municipal Acts.

WHY THERE IS AN INCREASE IN GARBAGE? Where Does Your Garbage Go? Indias garbage generation stands at 0.2 to 0.6 kilograms of garbage per head per day. Also, it is a well known fact that land in India is scarce. The garbage collector who comes to your house every morning to empty your dustbins inside his truck, takes all the garbage from your neighborhood and dumps it on an abandoned piece of land. Garbage collectors from all parts of the city meet there to do the same. Such a land is called a landfill. Indias per capita waste generation is so high, that it creates a crisis if the garbage collector doesnt visit a neighborhood for a couple of days. Typically, each household waits for the garbage boy with two or three bags of trash. If he doesnt turn up, the garbage becomes too much to store in the house. The household help or maid of the house will then be instructed to take the bags, walk a few yards away probably towards the end of the lane and dump the bags there. Seeing one household, all the others in the neighborhood immediately follow suit. This land, at the end of the lane, soon becomes the neighborhoods very own garbage dump a convenient place to dump anything if the garbage boy doesnt show up. Of course, when the quantity of the waste becomes too much to bear then diseases are feared, the residents would march up to their colonys welfare association and demand for the waste to be cleaned up at once. The waste will then be picked up from there and dumped in another piece of land this time further away from the colony probably in a landfill. People in India also litter excessively. The sweeper again sends all this garbage to the local dump, from where it finally goes to a landfill.

At the end of the day, it is safe to say that all garbage gets dumped in a certain piece of land (called a landfill). Why is Waste a Problem? As already mentioned, waste disposal in India simply involves rounding up the waste from different parts of the city, and dumping everything in a landfill. Once a landfill is completely occupied, a new landfill is discovered in a different part of the city. The Energy Research Institute estimates that 1400 sq. km. of land would be required by 2047 for municipal waste! Cities those are fortunate enough to have a river passing through them, have an additional dump for all their garbage. The state of the Yamuna River in Delhi is a testimony to this fact. The river practically doesnt flow at all. Expansive white deposits can be seen on their surfaces that prevent the flow. The deposits are nothing but toxic wastes that have reacted with the water. Practically no living creature lives in this section of the river. The landfill method is simply one that creates land pollution (and in some cases, ground water contamination). The waste is not subjected to recycling, composting, or any other form of environmental treatment. Hazardous toxic wastes lie side by side with the organic wastes in the landfill. The waste disposal issue has been given a small budget by the Government. Limited by this, the municipalities are ill-equipped to deal with the massive amounts of waste they collect everyday. Another problem is their inefficiency in collecting the waste. Currently, their efficiency is only about 50 to 80 per cent. The common man living in a populated urban city can tell you that the garbage boy seems to take holidays every now and then. The real problem is that he has collected so much that he cant store any more trash in his truck for the day, which is why he seems to take a holiday and does not come to your house. On the one hand, we can blame the municipality for not having enough resources to collect all the garbage. On the other hand, we ourselves are to blame for generating such huge amounts of garbage. What Can be Done About it? Firstly, it is imperative on the part of municipalities to separate the biodegradable from nonbiodegradable waste. Biodegradable wastes can then be subjected to composting, which is a process of

converting plant and animal wastes to humus by soil microorganisms. Humus enhances the fertility of soil.

Non-biodegradable wastes then further have to be categorized on the basis of their toxicity. Toxic wastes, when dumped in the land, may eventually contaminate and poison ground water. They have to be stored in tightly sealed underground containers. Wastes like plastic, metal, paper etc can also be subjected to recycling. In some ways, the waste can actually serve as a resource! Of course, all of the above requires a hike in the waste disposal budget. The municipalities need to be taught the technologies described above so that they can deal with the waste effectively. As individuals, we need to realize that we do generate quite a lot of waste we dispose of containers that can be reused and we throw away papers that can be recycled. It is important to reduce our wastage of resources so that we dont pressurize our weak waste disposal system.

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENSES OF GARBAGE DUMPING?

Burning Trash The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 57 percent of the toxic substances dioxin and furans between 2002 and 2004 were created by burning trash in backyards. In rural areas. people may use this method to get rid of their garbage. In addition to the toxins released by smoke, the garbage ash may have harmful toxins, and if the trash contains polystyrene plastic, pressure-treated wood, bleach and dyed paper, even more chemicals are released. The EPA estimates that burning 10 pounds of trash per household can produce as much air pollution as an efficient comerical incinerator burning 400,000 pounds of trash. Effect of Landfills

Even if garbage isn't burned and is properly disposed through a local solid waste management program, garbage sits in landfills, taking up precious land. As biodegradable waste sits and breaks down, the greenhouse gas methane releases in large quantities. Methane is 70 percent more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, an effect linked to global warming. Nitrous oxide is also released during the transportation of waste to landfills. Garbage's Effect on Humans

As waste sits and breaks down, harmful chemicals can leak into the ground and aquifers, contaminating local water supplies. Older incinerators also release carcinogens known to cause cancer. Air pollutants can create acid rain or cause respiratory problems. Of course, where there's decay and garbage, there are rodents. Landfills and garbage piles are hotbeds for rats, flies and vermin carrying disease.

Gargabe and the Ocean

In the Pacific Ocean, a garbage patch exists that may cover an area 1.5 times the size of the United States and sits 100 feet deep. The garbage pile, known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, consists primarily of plastic items, since they aren't biodegradable and have buoyancy, while other types of trash eventually biodegrade or get absorbed into the water. Animals may ingest or get caught in the plastics, and harmful chemicals can affect their health. Old fishnets also trap animals, turtles and dolphins. In addition to affecting the ocean's population, 2.5 billion people on earth rely on fish meeting 20 percent of their protein needs, according to an article by Thomas Kostigen in Discovery magazine.

Rain, garbage lead to spurt in mosquitoes In the past few days, there has been a sudden increase in mosquitoes in the city and surrounding areas. Residents from areas such as Vyasarpadi, Moolakothalam, T.Nagar and Thiruvanmiyur have been complaining about the mosquito menace in the context of the recent rain, uncleared garbage and water stagnating in stormwater drains aided the breeding of mosquitoes. V.S.Jayaraman, a resident of Motilal Street in T.Nagar, said that a lot of garbage was found in the unfinished stormwater drains, which often became breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Garbage is being cleared once in three days and waste attracts mosquitoes and flies. Lalitha Mohanan, a teacher in a private school at Kodungaiyur, said that as her school was close to the Chennai Corporation's garbage dumping yard, the stench had become unbearable after the recent rain. Despite using coils and applying creams, students still get bitten by mosquitoes.' G.Srinivasan of Moolakothalam said that not everyone in his area could afford to use mosquito mats or coils. We have a canal on one side and the dumping yard on another,

which add to our miseries, he said. Officials of the Chennai Corporation, who admitted that there was a sudden increase in the mosquito population in the past few days, said that a plan had been chalked out to control the vector. The larval density was 8 - 15 and adult density 50 - 70 in all these zones. Basin Bridge, Pulianthope, Kodambakkam and Adyar zones of the Chennai Corporation were the worst affected by mosquitoes. On Saturday, Commissioner D.Karthikeyan who conducted a review meeting, said zonal officers had been asked to use extra manpower to remove blocks and water hyacinth plants from canals. Health Officer P.Kuganantham said that in the evenings vehicles mounted with fogging machines would go to thickly populated areas. Every Friday, intensive fogging would be carried out throughout the city. He said that teams would be sent to construction sites where water would be stored for curing. Blood tests would be conducted on migrant labourers to check whether they have malaria or dengue. Dr.Kuganantham said that every day around 25 cases were being reported throughout the city and every month five proved to be cases of dengue.

THE WORKING OF NEEL METAL FANALCA

Neel Metal Fanalca, the private firm in-charge of clearing garbage in four zones in the city, is likely to be replaced by another firm. The Chennai Corporation plans to float tenders for contractors who can take over conservancy work in Adyar, Kodambakkam, Ice House and Pulianthope. It had earlier planned to take over conservancy operations in these zones and even started the process of recruitment and procurement of equipment. A senior Corporation official told The Hindu that subject to the approval of the State government, tenders would be floated with more stringent conditions. Their [Neel Metal Fanalca] services are poor we have been asking them to improve the garbage collection, the official said. Following complaints from residents and councillors regarding poor garbage clearance by the private firm, the civic body has taken over conservancy operations in eight wards that were initially with the company, during the last few months. Mayor M.Subramanian said that the civic body has been stepping in to clear garbage from areas where it receives more complaints. At one point, the Corporation Council had debated removing it altogether owing to inefficient work. However, the Madras High Court had directed that the services of Neel Metal Fanalca should continue till December 2011, when the contract period expires. So, the new firm would take over operations from January 2012. Once the contract period comes to an end, the civic body has to take a call on whether to appoint a private operator or undertake conservancy work on its own for these zones. Leader of the Opposition in the Corporation Council Saidai P. Ravi said that the poor performance of the private firm had not only put the residents to hardship but also earned a bad name for the civic body.

I had opposed the proposal to engage Neel Metal Fanalca as it did not have enough experience. Onyx, its predecessor, was doing a better job, Mr. Ravi wanted the civic body to work out a minimum price taking into consideration all costs including that of labour and machinery. He also said that the civic body must look into the track record of the company before signing the contract. Neel Metal Fanalca had begun conservancy work in three zones in August 2007 and later on taken over work in the fourth zone.

A SMALL GLIMPSE OF THE GARBAGE PROBLEM IN THE OTHER STATE One of the oldest markets of Puducherry, Goubert market, has been crying for attention for a long time now. Lack of proper maintenance has turned it into a dumping yard. Mounds of garbage, slippery surface and unclean surroundings are causing inconvenience to customers. The market, which has several shops selling vegetables, meat, groceries, fancy items and clothes, has been neglected for sometime. For vendors, the problems become worse during the rains. Garbage has been dumped near the entrances to the market and on the narrow lanes inside the market area. It has accumulated for nearly four days now. Municipal workers have not cleared the garbage, leading to stench and unclean surroundings, a vegetable vendor said. Several shopkeepers complained that they had to engage private parties to clear the garbage dumped near their shops. The local body workers are on strike and this has worsened the situation. The garbage is not being collected on a regular basis. After the rain, the ground has turned slippery and a number of people coming to the market often slip and fall down, another vendor said. The market, though very popular, has been devoid of maintenance or improvement measures for a long time now. We have put asbestos sheets on top of our shops to prevent rainwater from dripping in, a shopkeeper said. A number of vendors said that they could not sit inside the market after 6 p.m. owing to mosquito menace.

The market has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The problem gets worse during rainy season as a result of water stagnation, they said. According to shopkeepers, the market was frequented by foreigners, thanks to its popularity. It is so badly maintained that it leaves a bad impact on the tourists who come here, a shopkeeper, who sells clothes, said. Officials of the Puducherry Municipality said that vendors should follow proper measures to dispose of garbage. We have made arrangements for a tractor outside the market and have asked the vendors to dump garbage into it. But nobody follows it and there is no place to collect garbage inside the market. In future, we will increase the number of workers and undertake regular collection of garbage, the official said.

CONCLUSION

As we had a look about all these issues and problems and also detailed analysis on it, so now we should be very well aware about the problems you are going through. About how the garbage waste increases and the consequences and hindrances people face in the surrounding, and also what the government contracted company is doing on it. So it is high time that a bell should ring over our minds about these increasing problems in garbages. So we must be aware about the consequences we are facing through the increasing garbages. Cleanliness is very important, if not, its only we and our society that is going to suffer. So it is high time we better be aware of the problems thats going on. These problems are not simpleones but which will have a serious effect on human kind, it does create major problems to them. So all these problems need to be given importance so that it doesnt affect the human kind. Even if we are not able to eradicate it completely we should atleast try to reduce it to the maximum possible extent, to keep out mankind hail and healthy. To serve the society better, to give the human kind a long lasting life, as said earlier the more we live the more we conquer.

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