Improper waste management, a major cause for pollution in Madurai

The rapidly growing population alongside rapid industrialisation has been generating tonnes of waste every single day in major cities across the country. But the mechanism and a proper system to deal with the waste still lack. 

Madurai city, as per the official records, produces more than 900 tonnes of waste every day. The waste management system, though boasts of segregating the waste into dry, wet, degradable and bio-degradable, has not turned effective owing to its improper mechanism. 

Despite the door-to-door waste collection which is being carried out by the Madurai city corporation, in many locations across the city, waste could be seen dumped along roadsides, waterbodies, barren lands, channels, etc. 

As piles of garbage along riverbanks, thick smoke from open burning of mixed and partly toxic, waste, pungent odours have all become a common scene in many areas, the health risk factor is neglected by the authorities. 

As per the United Nations Environmental Programme, “With approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of municipal waste generated each year, and volumes expected to increase to 2.2 billion tonnes by end of 2025, urgent action is needed to head off the threat to the environment and human health posed by this global waste crisis.” 

The report of UNEP has also warned that “by 2030, the global middle-class will have grown from 2 billion to 4.9 billion, each of these affluent consumers longing for greater quantities of these new affluent consumers longing for greater quantities of more sophisticated and resource-intensive goods.”  

Solai M. Raja, ward 64 councillor, said that delay in collecting waste from houses and unavailability of dumper bins in several localities were the major reason for garbage littering and dumping in public places.  

“As door-to-door collection system was implemented, many of the dumper bins placed in several streets were removed. People who go to work earlier or who miss garbage collection vehicles, choose to dump or throw away into water bodies or on roadsides,” he added.  

While both of them could not be blamed for their actions, a common solution has to be arrived at to rectify the issue, he stated.  

Placing dumper bins at regular intervals could largely solve the issue, but that was not at all considered by the authorities, Mr. Raja said.  

Madurai, with an abundant water resource like Vaigai, has failed to maintain it. 

“The improper waste management has reflected in the river which is highly polluted from the waste thrown into it,” said Mr. Raja.  

Not only Vaigai, but more than 16 channels essential to transport water to the river, remain polluted due to human mistakes, he noted. 

Though other practical administration issues like workers shortage, insufficient equipment and vehicles, were all other reasons which should be considered, T. Kumaravel, ward 23 councillor, said a sound working model to manage different kinds of waste should be formulated.  

It was not only the household waste, which was polluting, even many hospitals and pharmaceuticals without any hesitancy dumped medical waste on roadsides and dustbins. 

As there was no vigilant monitoring by officials, the protocol, which should be followed by hospitals to discard different categories of medical waste, was rarely followed, said a health official.  

In addition, workers due to their inability to carry huge loads of waste collected from the households to the dump yards burn the wastes on empty areas, the official added.  

“It will not only affect the people but will also badly harm the workers’ health. Without an awareness about the dangers, they consider burning as an easier option,” he noted.  

Even when plans like transfer stations to facilitate transport of waste were chalked out, the gaps in implementation have left the issue unresolved, the health official noted.  

Pointing to the various studies which emphasises on a more effective waste management system, many civil society and environmental organisations like Poovulagu Nanbargal advocate for managing the waste sector, with all its complexities, in a way that is more economically, environmentally and socially sustainable. 

“As the poor waste collection practice can lead to spread diseases and improper waste disposal, hazardous waste mixed with household waste can be extremely harmful for workers in the waste sector, nearby communities and environment,” they added.

T. Nagarajan, Deputy Mayor, said that the dump yard at Vellaikkal should be modernised to accommodate as the waste collected from houses increases every day.  

“A plant should be installed to avoid overflowing of the waste at the dump yard. By quickening the process at the facility, more waste could be processed and collected,” he added.  

During a visit to one such plant at Indore in Madhya Pradesh, they witnessed waste being processed into biogas very efficiently, he noted.  

“They also make revenue out of the biogas that is produced from the waste. Initially, we planned to implement the same in Madurai, but due to various reasons the plan did not take off,” Mr. Nagarajan said.  

“If that was implemented, most of the existing problem regarding waste management could be dealt with.” 

A Corporation official said that the shortage of workers and need of garbage collection vehicle were being worked out.  

“As outsourcing mechanism has helped in keeping the workers’ strength intact, efforts to increase the strength are also taken. Once the basic issues are sorted out, waste management, which is the final outcome, will become easy and problem-free,” the official added.

Regarding burning garbage on roadsides, a senior health official said that burning waste was unlawful and as a preventive measure they remove garbage dumped on public places.  

Even when they see any waste burning, they extinguish the fire, preventing it from flaring up, the official added.