Sanitary Landfill for safe disposal of solid waste

Solid waste management has been the state’s major concern for the decades. The Covid19 pandemic stimulated a drastic increase in the generation of tons of plastics and medical waste. Construction and maintenance of Sanitary Landfills without affecting the socio-environmental factors of Kerala is one of the major services offered by the KSWM project. Although various methods have been adopted in the past for the sanitary landfill construction, now they will be implemented scientifically through KSWMP, realizing their limitations.

ULBs in Kerala generate approx. 3,750 tons of solid waste per day (TDP)

• 82% biodegradable waste (BDW)
• 18% non-biodegradable waste (NBDW)
• 60% of the NBDW is dumped illegally or burned, while the remaining waste is collected informally by rag-pickers.
• A minor fraction (3 %) is recycled at the community level.

Out of the 3,000 TPD of BDW

• 20% is treated at household or community levels
• 80 % is not properly treated and disposed.

To mitigate the lack of suitable land for landfill construction, regional sanitary landfill facilities are suggested and to overcome the scarcity of land needed for processing and disposal, regional processing and disposal facilities are promoted. Thus, the project provides comprehensive support to the local bodies, which are challenged by limited technical and financial resources for establishing their own facilities locally.