Sustainable Processing for Solid Waste Management



The response to the program was over whelming. Representatives from Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Officers from Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Representatives from various industries like Ambuja Cements Ltd, Reliance Industries Ltd etc participated in the conference. Also, students, research scholars and faculty members from various colleges of Mumbai actively participated in the conference.

The Program commenced at 10:30 am by brief introduction by Ms. Kosha Desai from NSWAI about the theme of the conference and the need for sustainable processing for Effective Solid Waste Management. Dr Bishnupriya Dasgupta, Reader, Dept of Family Resource Mangement, SNDT University welcomed the audience and dignitaries. Dr. Amiya Kumar Sahu, President NSWAI then briefed about the theme of the conference and appraised the previous conferences held in SNDT University to motivate the students in this sector. Subsequently Mr. R.K. Garg, Emeritus President, NSWAI addressed the audience and inaugurated the conference by lighting the lamp

After the inauguration and tea break thereafter, the program resumed with the technical session.

In the technical session, Dr.Amiya Kumar Sahu gave broad overview on various innovative technologies for Municipal Solid Waste Management in India. He emphasized on various technologies for storage, collection and transportation of Municipal solid waste. The technologies include Use of Solar powered compactor, Fully-Automated Trash collection system, Machine Sweeper Truck and other technologies for Treatment and disposal like Composting, Waste-to-energy which include Incineration/Pyrolysis/Gasification/Plasma Arc Gasification/Anaerobic digestion / Bioconversion of biomass to mixed alcohol fuels etc, and other treatment options such as Bio-drying, Bio-stabilization and Sanitary Landfill.

Dr. S.T. Lonkar, Deputy General Manger, SMS Envocare Ltd presented on ‘Waste to Energy by Using Plasma Gasification for Hazardous Waste’. He defined the Plasma gasification technology as the Gasification of Matter in oxygen starved environment to dissociate Hazardous waste into its basic molecules and in this process, organic waste gets converted into fuel gas (Syngas) containing all chemical & heat energy. Dr Lonkar shared the experience of SMS Envocare Ltd, Pune in adopting Plasma Gasification Technology for disposal of hazardous wastes as well as generation of green power at the same time.

The technical session ended with the Wonderful film and presentation by Mr T. K Bandopadhyay, Convener- ICPE. The film on plastics made us understand how plastics are important to us in our day-to-day life and it is not the plastics that pollute the environment but how we humans handle it is responsible for the pollution of the environment. The presentation titled ‘Plastics Recycling and Waste Management’ emphasized on different ways of plastic wastes recycling this include conversion of mixed plastic waste to fuel, conversion of selective plastic waste to monomer for re-polymerizing into fresh plastics raw material. Example–Polyethylene terephthalate (PET plastic bottles). Mr. Bandopadhyay also focused on the need for segregation of wet waste and dry waste and use of plastic waste for road construction. He even mentioned of one such road in Mumbai where plastic waste has been used for the construcion (Prof. V S AGHASE ROAD DADAR, MUMBAI)

The conference concluded with concluding remarks by Mr. R.K.Garg, Vote of thanks by Ms. Kosha Desai from NSWAI which followed by Lunch thereafter.

The conference enlightened our knowledge on the technologies available for sustainable processing and Disposal of Municipal Solid Waste as well as the need and ways for Plastic wastes recycling and its sustainable management so as to make our Planet Earth - A better place to live in.