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WASTE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL

Although the Mohenjo-daro people of pre-Aryan India are known to have had elaborate drainage systems for their brick-built cities from 2500BC, modern India leaves something to be desired.

The British introduced simple gently-sloping ditches, sometimes brick-lined. However, these uncovered ‘storm drains’ tend to fill with rubbish and quickly silt up.

Furthermore, during the Raj era, most towns were quite small and the drains could be easily managed, maintained and repaired. Following independence in 1947, however, towns and cities have grown exponentially. The drains are covered by nothing but weak and non-reinforced concrete and are not functioning well.

Sadly, among other things the result is a breeding ground for all kinds of mosquito-borne diseases. Diseases such as Japanese Encephalitis have also appeared, perhaps a unforeseen result of globalisation.

Modern drainage systems for cities, villages and factory premises is a knotty subject and may not always be given proper attention during planning phases. Though the question of cost is always raised, it is surely better to pay for a submerged pump rather than deal with Dengue Fever or Japanese Encephalitis.

Regarding waste disposal and treatment, the clusters of round tanks and large sewage facilities commonly seen in Europe are not so often spotted in India. Domestic sewage tends to be handled with septic tanks attached to blocks of flats or personal dwellings. An infrastructure of organised sewage plants, and the planning and maintenance required, is not yet fully developed – and with the garbage and sewage issues generated by cities of 10 million plus it ought to be.

Concepts such as ‘trenchless pipelaying’, or mini- and micro-tunnelling are still confined mainly to seminars and conferences in India and are rarely seen in practice.

Finally, the question of toxic chemical waste and heavy metals such as mercury, lead and cadmium. This is a specialist subject that needs close attention paying to it as India’s industrial advancement continues apace.