Gujarat: Towards Zero-Waste Goal

The second largest growing State of India, Gujarat, in the last five years has initiated various processes, programmes and projects to implement best practices in waste management & recycling, cleanliness & hygiene and sanitation. Clean India Journal interacts with the Gujarat Urban Development Company and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation on the progress and future plans as the State moves towards achieving its goal of zero waste. A report

After the successful implementation process of Nirmal Gujarat, this year February, Gujarat launched the Mahatma Gandhi Swachhta Mission, five-year cleanliness & hygiene drive which will culminate with the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019. Under the Mission, a revolutionary and sustained effort through public participation will be put in place in sanitation covering all rural and urban areas. Empowering the people, especially women, through sanitation and hygiene best practices and with the enforcement of ‘Zero-waste policy,’ the mission is aimed to create a ‘plastic-waste free Gujarat’ by 2019.

Some of the schemes initiated under the Nirmal Gujarat will continue into the MGSM programmes. Highlighting the programmes, Mona Khandhar, Secretary and Commissioner (Housing), Additional In Charge MD-Urban Development & Urban Housing Department, said, “The Swachchhta Mission has been constituted at the State level for implementation and monitoring of phase-wise development of components between 2014-15 and 2018-19. These components include solid waste, liquid waste, e-waste, public toilets and water bodies.

“Moving towards zero-waste city policy, 100% door-to-door collection, transportation and processing of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), and scientific disposal at landfill will be implemented. Products generated from solid waste as vermi-compost, soil enricher and green energy/power can be useful for economic development as well as environment protection for the State.”

The Mission also puts down the processes for reuse and recycling of treated solid/liquid waste to utilize the amount of waste generated, and scientific disposal of solid & liquid waste as integrated waste management steps.

“Construction of Underground drainage network and sewage treatment plants for reuse and recycling of water for various purposes like agriculture, industry, and to conserve water bodies will be taken under consideration,” Mona Khadhar added.

Under the City Sanitation Plan for all cities, the setting up of individual toilets for houses and pay & use community toilets will move towards total eradication of open defecation. “Grants will be provided for individual as well as community toilet development. As part of the intensive sanitation drive, for the first three months, financial aid, equipment & technical assistance, training & capacity building and action plan for implementation will be provided to all ULBs.” The comprehensive plan has also considered free health check-up twice a year for sanitation and drainage workers.

With more emphasis to create a paper-free State and to digitalisation, the State will provide e-Waste collection vans and initiate recycling projects. “A proposed expenditure of `7000 crores during the next five years through convergence of different schemes has been envisaged,” said Mona Khandhar.

Gujarat, with a 1600km long coastline, has eight Corporations, 159 ULBs and 105 ADAs. Explaining the existing set of the urban bodies, Hetal Sorathia (Architect Planner), Dy Manager (Projects)-Gujarat Urban Development Limited (GUDC), said that the basic action plan for collection, transportation, treatment and disposal was in place.

The Mission puts down the processes for reuse and recycling of treated solid/liquid waste to utilize the amount of waste generated, and scientific disposal of solid & liquid waste as integrated waste management steps.

Total 36 clusters will cover all 159 ULBs & seven Municipal Corporations. The eighth one, Gandhinagar has recently been included. Seven Municipal Corporations will cover 42 ULBs. About 29 clusters covering 117 ULBs are under the scope of GUDC, out of which for seven clusters Scientific Engineered landfill (SLFs) construction will be done by GUDC. About 22 clusters will be covered.

The cluster approach implemented for ULBs involves distribution of vehicles, tools & equipment for primary and secondary collection at each stage besides training. So far 90% door to door collection has been achieved. About 70,000 vehicles had been distributed in 2008 at the cost of `88 crores. There is a demand for 78,500 equipment like bins, containers lifting devices, tractors and 12 different kinds of equipment. The tendering process has been completed and the selected machines will be distributed soon.

Under the liquid waste management, pilot projects on PPP model in 50 towns, including eight municipal corporations, are in the process in Phase-I. The scheme emphasizes on a symbiotic relationship between Urban and Rural Areas whereby the recycled water can be used for agricultural and industrial purposes. This conversion of waste into resource would use advanced technology. Planning for 150 ULBs has already been complemented and five developers – LWMP DNP Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd, Doshion Veolia Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd, Oxive Environmental Management Pvt. Ltd, Enviro Control Associates India Pvt Ltd (Surat) and UPL Environment Engineers Pvt. Ltd – have been identified. At present, the wastewater discharged by the 50 towns is to the tune of 340MLD.

Some of the challenges identified to be attended to include upgradation of underground drainage network laid down before 20-30 years ago, house to house connections for Sewage Collection, untreated sewage being discharged into nearby water bodies/open land resulting into water pollution, appropriate treatment of sewage, reuse of treated sewage and its quality and capacity building of ULBs for solid and liquid waste management.

In the initial stage, LWMP will concentrate on providing recycling water for industries. Ahmedabad and Surat Municipal Corporations have successfully implemented LWM projects for producing biogas and electricity. These plants are meeting at least 50% electricity requirement of the plant.