Mention major problems associated with urban waste disposal in India.

 

Solid waste refers to a variety of old and used articles.

These discarded materials are also termed as refuse, garbage and rubbish, etc. and are disposed of from two sources :
(i) household or domestic establishments, and
(ii) industrial or commercial establishments.
The household wastes is disposed off either on public lands or on private contractors’ sites, whereas the solid wastes of industrial units are collected and disposed off through public (municipal) facilities at low lying public grounds (landfill areas).
The huge turn out of ashes and debris from industries, thermal power houses and building constructions or demolitions have posed problems of serious consequences.
Solid wastes cause health hazard through creation of obnoxious smell, and harbouring of flies and rodents, which act as carriers of diseases like typhoid, diphtheria, diarrhoea, malaria and cholera, etc.
These wastes cause frequent nuisance as and when these are carelessly handled, spread by wind and splittered through rain water.
Concentration of industrial units in and around urban centres gives rise to disposal of industrial wastes. The dumping of industrial waste into rivers leads to water pollution. River pollution from city-based industries and untreated sewage leads to serious health problems downstream.