India generates around 1.50 lakh metric tonnes of solid waste everyday out of which only 90% is collected. The rest of the trash is dispersed around. This serves as a huge challenge in front of the solid waste management system. In 2017, the NITI Aayog had suggested the use of incinerators to solvethis problem through what is known as waste to energy treatment plants. These plants are supposed to generate around 511 MW power each day. The figure might look very attractive. However, the reality is very far from the figure. The question is not in the WTE Plants, but the garbage itself.
Before we went to incineration there was another way of WTE known as Biogas and Composting. However, it generated large amounts of by-products which again lead to the same issue of solid waste management. Technological advances brought forward three alternatives including incineration, thermal pyrolysis,and plasma gasification. Plasma gasification is out of the question because itis too expensive. Thermal pyrolysis is not suitable for municipal solid waste.That left us with only one option that is incineration.
Incineration seemed like an ideal technology for India’s solid waste management. However, there are certain factors that have become hurdles for us. Firstly, the solid waste which is generated in India has low calorific value. Hence, the required amount of energy is not produced. Secondly, WTE plants are very inconvenient. They generate a large amount of ash which easily seeps into the atmosphere and pollutes the surrounding area. The plant also gives awayrepulsive bad odour.
The solutions to these problems is simple but tedious. The solidwaste has been segregated properly before incineration. The government cannot collect all the trash and separate it. Hence, it has to be done in every household, office, institutions, and organizations. As for the second problem,the only solution to it will be the setting of plants outside human habitation. When all these changes take place, only then the use of incinerators in India will be justified.
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