SAND BE TREATED AS AN ESSENTIAL COMMODITY

From the  Sand mine auction in Punjab it is very clear that this auction has been done in a very shoddy and shady manner. If the govt finds that it cannot get good bids through the laid down procedures  and the general public good is not going to be served than the govt has every right to step in and actually it should look for alternatives if it has the good of Aam Aadmi in mind .

 I t is not always good to outsource every activity of the government/ business and more so when sand it self is fast leading the pack of commodities joining atta,kerosene ,sugar and pulses to become another essential commodity. This commodity which is likely to be used by every person needs to be controlled at all stages i.e. its production,carriage and sale. This needs to be done in a manner that the new method makes this product available at reasonable rates to a common user. Hence the state  govt which cries hoarse for its honest,good governance and fair approach needs to cancel this auction .

As per the auction rules there is no fixed price to sell sand therefore it will be demand and supply action and thus  it will be not possible to control the prices of sand in the present system. The best method will be to declare it as an essential commodity as besides Punjab ,Haryana is also going to look for sand supplies from Punjab till some court decisions. Second stage is to take over the control of this essential commodity. Because as we all know their is money in this commodity and very little equipment and infrastructure required to develop sand mines. For this reason the State govt authorities cannot shy away from selling the commodity on its own saying that it does not have the money to run the show.

Therefore it is right of the state to step in and establish sale points , fix rate of sand, fix rates for delivery of sands for different types of transport means such as trailers,trucks etc per kilometer and save the common man from the present sand-police-bureaucratic-politician mafia.

This can only be done if the Punjab Government is sincere and wants to prove its attentions of honesty in selling states' wealth at the right price as well as making it affordable for the states residents. By doing so the arm twisting price rise and loot of common man will be stopped and at the same time funds from sale of sand even at reasonable prices will out score the present shady auction bids. Money thus collected  will enrich govt treasury so that it can be used for state's development which is supposed to be the  main plank of the present Akali BJP government.

CITIZEN PARTICIPATION:A NEW MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF GARBAGE COLLECTION IN URBAN AREAS

Even after sixty five years of independence there has been no change in the mode, manner or method of garbage collection in urban areas. The standard method has been a plastic bag in an open plastic/tin container containing all types of house hold garbage. In this paper we will be confining ourselves to the house hold refuse only and not including industrial and commercial garbage. This paper has been written with a view to suggest a new method of house hold garbage collection in urban areas. Although there is a proposal likely to be implemented for house to house garbage collection by privatizing and outsourcing but very little has been done, said, written and implemented on the front of the citizen role/participation in terms of PREPARING THE GARBAGE FOR COLLECTION FROM HIS/HER HOUSE. This paper touches in great details on the participation of the citizen in this garbage production, collection and efficient disposal chain.

THE OLD/PREVAILING METHOD

At present three stage method is prevailing throughout Punjab in its various municipal areas.

The first stage In this stage the house hold refuse from kitchen, rooms, courtyard and garden is put into used plastic bags / open plastic/tin containers of various sizes which is kept inside/outside the house or just piled outside houses in a corner and is collected by a person employed by the householder/housing societies or household collectives.

The second stage This refuse is transported in a wooden cart/wooden rickshaw to a garbage collection place.

The third stage From here on the household refuse starts its journey from the garbage collection point to the main garbage dump/solid waste treatment site if it exists on a truck/tractor trailer.

Types of Household Refuse

In this paper we will confine ourselves to the first and second stage only. Before we go any further let us consider what all comprises the house hold garbage.

Kitchen Refuse      It comprises of vegetable and organic biodegradable waste. In addition there are plastics, tetra-pouches, plastic bottles, glass bottles, aluminum cans. Aluminum foil packing, paper cartons, plastic and iron bottle caps etc.

House Hold Refuse-It comprises of the following:-

· Dust

· Plastic

· Papers refuse

· Cartons of plastic and paper.

· Empty aluminum cans

· Glass bottles.

Garden Refuse:-This refuse comprises of:

· Dry leaves Green and twigs.

· Green leaves and grass after pruning.

· Cans of insecticides and pesticides.

· Gunny, jute and plastic bags.

· Organic material such as manure.

House Hold misc. refuse

There is a certain refuse which occurs occasionally and not on daily basis.

· Iron pieces

· Aluminum waste

Broken Glass of

· Fused tube lights and bulbs

· Window panes.

· Broken glass bottles and other aluminum, alloy containers

· All types of glass refuse

WHY A NEW METHOD OF GARBAGE COLLECTION IS REQUIRED?

As the old method is exploitative of humans, not hygienic and anti environment therefore it needs to be discarded and a new one needs to be adopted.

Old method is a Hazard to the following entities:

(i)The health hazards to citizen themselves due to  the epidemic  and contagious diseases.

(ii)The biggest health hazard is to garbage collectors.

(iii)  To all types of fauna and flora.

 (iv) This method encourages environmental degradation of soil, water and air through all kinds of pollution.

Hazards for the garbage collectors who normally belong to lowest strata of the society:-

· Health hazards due to infectious diseases like cholera & TB.

· Cuts due to broken glass, tube light and broken bulbs.

· Cuts on hand from iron and aluminum etc. leading to tetanus etc.

· Various types of infections from open garbage collection

· Infection of lungs as they breathe the air and gases arising from the garbage and thus are exposed to diseases like TB and other such infections.

Why these Hazards exist These hazards are there because the garbage collectors use bare hands to sort out the garbage which they have collected to segregate plastic and other reusable items to make extra money- little bothering that while doing this they hurt themselves as well as hurt the environment leading to pollution of air, water and soil. As they open refuse and let out bad odours and invite flies, viruses and bacteria to spread all kinds of infections and diseases of which the worse being cholera which can very easily turn into an epidemic.

This refuse is subjected to scrutiny by another set of garbage goody hunters when they go through the refuse clinically for a second time at the garbage collection point thus leading to all the health hazards and environment pollution that has been mentioned above in the first stage.

CITIZEN PARTICIPATION: IN THE SUGGESTED NEW COLLECTION METHOD

Keeping all the above in view it is very evident so as to safeguard the health of garbage collectors , save the environment and to manage the garbage in a more scientific manner a new method is needed. One of the ways it can be done efficiently is suggested. This lays down the role, responsibilities and duties of a common citizen. It describes in detail how he can effectively participate to keep his city and environment clean. Actually a citizen is the first person and the main link in the chain to kick start the process from his/her premises.

First stage In the house the following actions will be taken

In the kitchen:-

The vegetable and other organic material will be disposed of in one container/plastic bag (green in colour).The other plastic waste, aluminum cans bottles, in one container and cartons of paper and paper waste in another for recycling.

Inside the house

· Dust, wool, cotton, fiber lint in one container.

· The paper bags and paper carton in one bag for recycling.

· Plastic bags, plastic packing in one bag for recycling.

 

The Garden refuse

As and when it occurs it will be green/dry leaves, grass, uprooted plants and branches of trees will be put into a reusable gunny bag and disposed off. The chemical empty cartons will be disposed off as per instructions.

The Miscellaneous refuse

· The broken iron and aluminum will be segregated and kept away from refuse- which will be collected once in two week.

· The broken glass tube lights and bulbs window panes will be deposited at the glass processing center to be operated near each municipal water works and processed glass to be sold to the industry using it as a basic reusable material.

· The complete bottles and other containers are normally sold by citizens to the Raddiwala but it left intact in trash/refuse they will be deposited as complete bottle, aluminum, iron and other valuable trash collection center.

· The used wooden doors/left over wood and other such material will also be collected under and deposited for recycling as paper.

· A special bag red in colour will be used for broken glass and such material which can cause injuries to the garbage handling team.

The house hold waste will finally will be four types:-

Biodegradable/ Organic waste From the house will be of two type’s organic wastes based on kitchen and garden refuse one ZIP LOCK bag

Inorganic Waste  Based on lint , dust, Cotton waste and Paper refuse including all paper, hair, cotton etc In one ZIP LOCK

Inert Waste  Based on plastic and soft, rubber shoes, iron, aluminum, wooden pieces in one separate bag.

Recyclable materials Container Basically comprising of glass, aluminum, wood, iron, alloys and other discarded material of any kind.

The first two types of waste will be collected as follows:-

(a) Organic waste GREEN color bag Daily

( b)Inorganic waste  Black color bag Once every three days

(c)Inert  waste type Blue color bag Once every week

(d) Recyclable material will be collected once every month.

THE METHOD

Types of bags The bags will be made of thick quality plastic and will be recyclable. There will be a ZIP LOCKING SYSTEM to keep the contents in the bag and to arrest odours.

Making Use of the existing infrastructure wherever possible The existing garbage collectors will be provided with proper gloves, disposable masks and gum shoes/appropriate foot wear (to be provided by Local Urban bodies) and they will be monitored and educated on the health and other benefits of wearing such equipment.

Health Hazards to Collectors Garbage Collectors will be instructed to put the plastic bags - in their garbage carrier rickshaw and instructed not to open the refuse bags to search garbage goodies (Action otherwise contrary to this will invite action as per environment laws).

Covering the garbage for Journey to the Dump They will deposit refuse at the garbage collection point. From here it will be dumped in the Garbage Collection plastic sheet covered and neatly strapped trucks instead of present JCB picking up and loading method into the open refuse tippers/trucks which there after speed on the city roads spilling 50% of the refuse they carry and thus polluting the entire road stretches they move on .

THE ACCRUAL BENEFITS OF THE NEW METHOD FOR THE CITIZENS

· No foul smells.

· No infections for residents as well as the garbage collectors

· No bare hand injury from broken glass/iron.

· No environment pollution of air, soil and water.

· No foul smell and pollution on main roads- because that is where these garbage collection points are situated.

· No air pollution with garbage flying from uncovered garbage trucks which carry open garbage to solid waste treatment plant/garbage dumps.

INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIRED

In order to follow the above system you basically need the following for one house hold:

· Green bags of (3 kg holding capacity)

· Plastic bags - 30 No

· Black bags of 5 kg capacity - 15 in Number

· Blue bags of 10 kg capacity - 4 in Number

Plastic or Wood container for recyclable refuse

· Glass processing machine one/two per municipal ward.

THE FINANCIAL COST

· The bags of 3 kg capacity 30 will cost – Rs 15 per house hold Depending upon plastic thickness in microns

· The bags of 5 Kg capacity 15 in No will cost -Rs 15 per house hold.

· The bags of 10 kg capacity 4 in No will cost - Rs 8per house hold.

· One glass PROCESSING machine will cost around Rs. 10,000 approx. ( Cost depends on capacity)for each ward

The collection center for Glass, iron, aluminum plastic, cardboard waste etc. will be established in the area of municipal water pumps and overhead tank - from where such refuse will be disposed off every month (If such waste has been left as garbage). The funds which will accrue from this cannot guesstimated but it will surpass imagination.

THE SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND MATERIAL BENEFITS-COSTS EQUATION

Benefits of the new garbage collection system will far outweigh the efforts and cost as the benefit cost equation mentioned below shows :-

· The infectious disease incidence in garbage collectors will be much less

· It will improve their quality of life.

· It will lead to a more cleaner air, soil and water environment.

· Organic waste – in to the bio digester to produce methane , thereby using methane gas to fire the gas turbines to produce steam to run electricity as well as producing slurry to produce direct compost manure or produce the Vermin compost made from this as manure will be the biggest revenue earner.

· Inorganic waste for treatment/processing in the bio digester will be used as described above  - to produce electricity..

· Iron/aluminum reusable glass bottles, cans will be disposed off with the junk dealer.

· Broken glass, glass electric bulbs and tube lights , glass bottles, window panes will be converted into recyclable glass either by crushing or melting this glass.

· There will be odour free roads and localities.

· It will lead to the revenue accrual due to the following outputs from the new system which is presently going waste:

· Vermin compost /manure for Organic crops production which has a market rate of Rs. 200-500 per quintal.

· Use of solid waste for burning and generating power.

· Cost recovery from processed glass.

· Cost recovery from sale of reusable plastics, aluminum, plastic and glass reusable bottles and other reusable material found in waste such as brass, copper etc.

· The need of JCB machines to pick up the fresh garbage from garbage collection point will be done away because the trucks once they are loaded with sealed plastic bags, these will be taken to the to dumping/ garbage processing site as there will be no requirement to load open garbage. This will save lot of money presently spent on fuel, maintenance and salaries on operators of these JCB machines.

CONCLUSION

By following this new method we will be taking socially and morally a very beneficial step for the so far neglected, under privileged and deprived section of our society and at the same time ensuring environmental safety, getting a clean healthy air to breathe and a disease free environment. It will also reduce burden on our already hard pressed public health system. Such collection systems are being followed in developed countries round the world.

By a little active initiation of the above mentioned process by the Govt, bureaucracy, an active cooperation of the municipal staff, an active support campaign from NGOs supporting the cause of down trodden, very minimal cost to an average citizen and by little and small sacrifices by everybody involved - we will make our towns and cities clean, green and environmentally clean in all respects thus giving rise to a very healthy population and environment for that to live in as a major root cause of water, air and soil pollution in the urban areas will be eradicated. This method with little awareness and modifications can also be adopted in rural areas too as citizen participation there in garbage collection is already there.