ANNOUNCEMENTS
With a vision to minimize movement of solid waste to landfill Pune Smart City Development Corporation Limited envisaged ‘Zero Waste Initiative’ with the objective of composting wet waste at decentralized in-situ sites. The report encapsulates strategies which encourage in-situ treatment of organic waste by the means of creating a ward plan on parameters such as generation, transfer and treatment of waste through assessing the existing solid waste management chain and optimizing the process.
The components of zero waste management were studied viz. waste collection, secondary segregation, tertiary segregation and treatment along with biogas and compost pit techniques. The study involved transect study of waste from its source to landfill. Based on the parameters required to treat organic waste within the spatial extents of the ward a survey was carried out amongst all the stakeholders directly and indirectly associated with the project. The survey revealed thirty eight percent properties composted waste at source. On, the other hand there were challenges such as illegal dumping, non-segregation of waste, non-compliance of the residents for in-situ waste composting and user fee charges. The study concludes by recommending a three-prong strategy to tackle organic waste at household level, at community level and at ward level. A ward plan was designed which would form a baseline for all the solid waste management parameters required to recycle the waste and thus curbing the incessant dumping in landfills.
Key words: Solid waste management, zero waste management, wet waste composting, ward plan.
