A VISIT TO

TRANS THANE
CREEK WASTE
MANAGEMENT
ASSOCIATION
(TTCWMA)
Table of Contents

Title ................................................................................................................................................................................1

Objectives .....................................................................................................................................................................3

Background Information About TTCWMA ............................................................................................................... 4

Observations ................................................................................................................................................................5

Category of waste and waste management ..........................................................................................................6

Landfills ................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Inference .................................................................................................................................................................... 13

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................. 14

As a Student What can I do...................................................................................................................................... 14

Bibliography .............................................................................................................................................................. 15
 OBJECTIVES
 To understand how the large amount of waste is managed.

 The things that we need to take in account while handling the waste

 To understand the problems associated to waste management

 The remedies to overcome these problem

 To know whether something else can also be obtained from waste

 BACKGROUND

In a move that could reduce industrial pollution in the region, a facility for disposing off toxic
wastes is being set up in the Trans Thane Creek (TTC) industrial area.

The project approved by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest has been taken up by
the Thane Belapur Industrial Association. About 70,000 sq. meter land at Mahape has been selected for
the project. It is developed in abandoned stone quarry. Denmark based Eco Pollution Control Private
Limited will be implementing the project in two phases and its cost is around Rs 7.86 crore. It seeks to
scientifically collect and dispose off solid and hazardous wastes generated by industrial units
functioning in the TTC area. TTC already has a liquid waste management facility, which is maintained by
the Trans Thane Creek Waste Management Association (TTCWMA), a company set up by the Thane
Belapur Industrial Association. TTCWMA is assigned the task of undertaking industrial waste
management in the TTC area in a centralized manner.

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest had approved the project for solid waste
management facility and had agreed to fund 25 per cent of the project cost. The project will also be funded
by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board
(MPCB), other Financial Institutions (FIs) and users of the facility. For setting up the facility, a memorandum
of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Ministry of Environment and Forest, MIDC, MPCB
and TTCWMA. The first phase of the project, which is currently being implemented comprises of facilities
for physico-chemcial treatment (PCT), solidification and secured landfill. TTC area, one of the largest
industrial zones in the country, was developed by MIDC in the early 60s to promote industrial development
in the Thane Belapur area of Thane district.

This plant deals with the industrial waste that comes from the Thane Belapur Industries Association. It
receives financial help from MIDC.
OBSERVATIONS
 The Campus of the plant is twenty two acres in area. This plant makes use of Landfill method of
waste disposal. However we were not allowed to access the laboratories of this plant due to
security reasons, but they conducted the seminar to explain what exactly they do in the plant.
 The lecturer first told us what exactly waste management is all about. Waste management is the
collection, transport, processing, recycling or disposal, and monitoring of waste materials. It is
carried out generally to reduce the effect of waste on human health, the environment or
aesthetics. It is also carried out to recover resources from the waste.
 The plant deals with hazardous wastes. He explained us that waste which is explosive, oxidizing,
highly industrial flammable, flammable, irritant, harmful, toxic, carcinogenic, corrosive,
infectious, teratogenic, releasing toxic gases in contact with water, air or acid, potentially
releasing hazardous leachates and ecotoxic are termed as hazardous wastes. Hazardous waste
are classified as:

Category of Hazardous Waste as per Schedule - 1 of HW Rules, 1989

Waste Category No. 1 Cyanide Waste 1 kg per year calculated as Cyanide

Waste Category No. 2 Metal Finishing Waste 10 kg per year the sum of the specified
substance calculated as pure metal

Waste Category No. 3 Waste containing water soluble chemical
compounds of Lead, Copper, Zinc, chromium,
Nickel, Selenium, Barium & Antimony.
Waste Category No. 4 Mercury, Arsenic, Thallium and Cadmium
bearing wastes.
Waste Category No. 5 Non-halogenated hydrocarbons including solvent
Waste Category No. 6 Halogenated hydro-carbon including
solvents
Waste Category No. 7 Wastes from paints, pigments, glue,
varnish and printing ink.
Waste Category No.8 Wastes from Dyes and Dye intermediate
containing inorganic chemical compounds
Waste Category No. 9 Wastes from Dyes and Dye intermediate
Containing organic chemical compounds.
Waste Category No. 10 Waste oil and oil emulsions
Waste Category No. 11 Tarry wastes from refining and tar residues from
distillation or prolytic treatment.
Waste Category No. 12 Sludge arising from treatment of waste waters
containing heavy metals, toxic organics, oil
emulsions and spend chemical and incinerated ash
Waste Category No. 13 Phenols.
10 kg per year the sum of the specified
substance calculated as pure metal
5 kg per year the sum of the specified
substance calculated as pure metal.
200 kg per year calculated as non-
halogenated hydrocarbons.
50 kg per year calculated as halogenated
hydrocarbons.
250 kg per year calculated as oil or oil
emulsions
200 kg per year calculated as inorganic
chemicals.
50 kg per year calculated as organic
chemicals.
1000 kg per year calculated as oil or oil
emulsions
200 kg per year calculated as tar
Irrespective of any quantity.
5 kg per year calculated as phenols.

Waste Category No. 14 Asbestos 200 kg per year calculated asbestos.

Waste Category No. 15 Wastes from manufacturing of pesticides and 5 kg per year calculated as pesticides
herbicides and residues from pesticides and, and their intermediate products
herbicides formulation units
 Waste Category No. 16 Acid/Alkaline/Slurry 200 kg per year calculated as
Acids/Alkalies
Waste Category No.17 Off-specification and discarded products Irrespective of any quantity.

Waste Category No.18 Discarded containers and Containers Irrespective of any quantity.
liners of hazardous and toxic wastes

 The plant initially receives a waste sample from the industries. The waste that the plant receives
from the industries are as follows:

Sr. Type of Brief manufacturing process/ Comments regarding

No. Industry Waste stream generated
1. Metal Salt  Manufacture of salts of ferrous / non-ferrous
Industry metals eg. ZnSO4 / CuSO4 /MnSO4
/Chromium Sulfate etc mostly from ferrous /
non-ferrous metal scrap or waste non-
ferrous metal eg. Spent catalyst or from ore.
 Process involves acidification with H2SO4
& subsequent clarification of the mass in
centrifuge /filters to remove the product.
 Waste sludge formed is highly acidic. Also
contaminated filter/centrifuge bags are
generated.
coverage under HW Rules
Ferrous metal sludge & sludge
from salts of Manganese etc
cannot be covered under Rules
although they are highly acidic in
nature. Contaminated filter cloth /
centrifuge cloth cannot be included
in category 35.1 as contaminants
are inorganic in nature.

2 Synthetic  Manufacture of latex products like gloves
Rubber / Latex /condoms etc. Number of wastes generated
Industry in the process such as coagulated latex from
drains / spills / aging tanks etc.
 Waste may also contain some silicon oil.
Was covered under HW Rules
2000 but excluded from HW Rules
2003.

3. Storage of Tank bottom sludge is generated in storage Cannot be included in category 3

Organic tanks. due to use of word “Petroleum”
Chemicals with respect to oil storage tanks.
4. Automobile Servicing Generates used oil, filters contaminated with Difficult to classify in existing
Repairs etc oil, waste greases, and oily sludge Rules. Was previously covered
under 2000 Rules, as category 16,
but excluded from HW Rules 2003.
5. Edible Oil The oil is extracted from the seeds using
Refining suitable solvents (usually hexane).The solvent
is then distilled off, recycled into the Process.
The oil produced then undergoes degumming
(using strong phosphoric / sulfuric acid)
followed by steam refining to remove fatty
acids. This oil is then clarified using 0.5-2.5%
Bleaching Earth to remove colour
hydrogenated over Nickel catalyst to saturate
the unsaturated radicals and deodorized.
Waste stream from manufacturing process
include
Bleaching Earth, Centrifuge cloth, Spent
Nickel Catalyst, Spent Solvent
6. Manufacture of Involves splitting of fats to produce fatty acids
Glycerin / and glycerin which is removed with water
Distillation of (Sweet Water). Sweet water is heated to skim
fatty Acids off fatty acids. NaOH/lime added to it to
remove fatty acids. Lime sludge needs
disposal. Sweet water distilled to separate
water + glycerin. Distillation of fatty acids and
olefins results in formation of pitch which needs
to be disposed off.
7 Non-ferrous Eg. Units manufacturing alloys of Pb / Sb / As Waste generated cannot be
Metal and Ingots of Pb/Sb/As etc. Units engaged in classified under Schedule – 1.
Reprocessing / recovery of metals. Waste generated include :
Alloy Heavy metal containing ash/slag/residue
manufacture - Emission control dust
- Salt bath waste

8 Manufacture of Eg. Manufacture of intermediates for drugs (p-
Organic Nitrophenol / m-PDA etc) pesticides
intermediates (chlorotoluene /chlorobenzene etc), synthetic
tanning Agents, leather chemicals etc
9 Manufacture of Eg. Aromatic Amines, Formaldehyde, Acetone,
Organic chemicals Aniline, Nitrobenzene, Phenol etc.
10 Manufacture of Eg. Ferric Alum / Phosphorous based
Inorganic Chemicals chemicals. Ferric Alum is made by reaction of
Bauxite ore with sulfuric acid. Balance sludge
left over is highly acidic.
11 Manufacture of Extraction of Turmeric Powder using EDC,
Agro-based further solvent is distilled off. Manufacture of
Products Pectin from papaya by extraction with solvent.
Left over sludge maybe hazardous
12 Production of A unit in Navi Mumbai manufactures antigens /
Biopharmaceuticals antibodies for HIV/AIDS infected patients.
Done by extraction of diseased /
infected organs using solvents and then
isolating the strains. Manufacture of Insulin is
done by extraction from Pancreas of Cattle
using Isopropanol. In both cases, the balance
material, which is highly infectious is to be
disposed off.
13 Photographic The roll to be developed is passed through
Chemicals three baths comprising Developer – Bleacher
and Fixer /Stabilizer. Waste generated include
sludge / spent chemicals
Rules only cover Dye
intermediates under category 26.
Do not cover other intermediates
such as Drug / Pesticide
intermediates and other organic
intermediates
No category is included for
manufacture of general purpose
organic chemicals.
No category covers this class of
chemicals
No category covers these
processes
Not covered under Rules also.
Since the term infectious is not
covered under definition given for
“hazardous wastes”
this does not get covered under
HW
Rules either.
Previously included under HW
Rules 2000 a Category 26 but
excluded from 2003 amendment.

14 Purification Unit operations used include filtration / Category 35 deals with Purification
Processes for activated carbon treatment etc of organic compounds / solvents
Inorganic Chemicals only

15 Manufacture of Sludge generated during Category 17.1 should be modified

Acids manufacturing of HF / H3PO4 etc to include process residue.
16 Housekeeping Saw dust /cotton waste is used for equipment / Cannot be categorized under
operations floor cleaning in pesticide/paint/printing ink Schedule - 1
industry.
Similarly cotton waste used in Automobile
Servicing
 The plant then decides the disposal path of the wastes by performing various tests. These tests
include :

 Physical analysis includes determination of properties such as specific gravity, calorific value,
the loss of weight on drying & ignition.
 The chemical analysis includes the determination of Ph & composition of Sulphates & chlorides.
 The sample is also tested for determining the composition of inorganic metals such as Arsenic,
Barium, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Lead, Iron, Aluminum, Cobalt, and Manganese.

 The industry then sends their waste to the plant for their disposal. The plant first decides whether
any pretreatment is required for the waste before they are land filled. Also it tries to see whether any
Industrial waste can be reused, recycled or recovered. This is done by comparing it with the
standards prescribed by the CPCB.
 The other ways of waste disposal are

 Plasma gasification,
 Supercritical water decomposition (hydrothermal monophasic oxidation),
 Incineration.

He explained that landfill is a carefully designed structure built into or on top of the ground in which
trash is isolated from the surrounding environment. The purpose is to avoid any water related
connection between the waste and the surrounding environment, particularly groundwater. It is the
oldest form of waste treatment. Landfills may include internal waste disposal sites (where a
producer of waste carries out their own waste disposal at the place of production) as well as sites
used by many producers. First cell of the plant has Design Capacity of 25000 MT/ constructed over 1
Acre area.

 Storage space of 300 sq.m to store waste

 Own containers for safe transportation of Hazardous Waste
 Before selecting a site for land filling an environmental impact study must be done on the proposed
site to determine:
 The area of land necessary for the landfill;
 The composition of the underlying soil and bedrock;
 The flow of surface water over the site;
 The impact of the proposed landfill on the local environment and wildlife;
 The historical or archaeological value of the proposed site.

If it is found that the landfill will create hazards in the surrounding areas the proposed site will be
rejected.

 Before a landfill can be developed, a soil survey must be conducted in order to decide whether the
soil is favorable for landfill or not. Depending upon the soil properties they are classified as slight,
moderate, and severe. Slight means that the soil properties and the site features are generally
 favorable for landfill development. Landfill cover is soil that is placed onto the top of waste. When
the landfill is made the soil obtained during digging is used as landfills cover. Depending on the
suitability for land fill cover the soil is rated as good, fair or poor. A rating of poor indicates that the
soil should not be used for landfill cover unless special designs and alternatives are arranged
properties and site features are not favorable for landfill development.
 The best soil to use in a landfill is blue clay. The soil is best suited for landfills because it is
impervious to water, chemicals and it compacts very well. There two types of landfills:
 Public landfills: They are easier to regulate and control because they control what comes into
their landfill.
 Private landfills: They are more predicated on making money and are often less concerned
on what is brought in.

The lecturer said that the design of each element of the landfill appropriate to its environmental
setting is determined through risk assessment. If the risk assessment indicates that the chosen site
is suitable for the landfill proposed then the design can commence .landfill practice is a dynamic
science which involves a constant updation.This updation may be in the form of change in capacity
of the landfill, technique of landfill etc. Hence the designers must consider probable changes in
landfill practice that may occur over the whole lifetime of the land fill, where possible, make
provision for these changes, or allow for them to be incorporated at a later stage.

 The various stages of design are as follows:

 In the conceptual stage, the designer will be principally concerned with the overall viability
of the site, using experience to determine any fundamental constraints or items of major
expenditure. This will result in a notional concept for the development of a site, giving
approximate volumes, possible design features, and setting out the principal aspects for
clarification or investigation in subsequent phases.
 In the outline stage, a detailed site investigation and scoping of environmental issues should
be carried out, which will lead to a fully reasoned overall design for the construction,
operation and restoration of the site. This outline design should consider all aspects
including the cost of the development. The outline design is likely to form the basis of the
Working Plan for the waste management .The outline design should form part of the Site
Manual, which provides a mechanism for the exchange of information between the design,
construction and operation process. When the site progresses to construction, the outline
design should be developed into a fully documented detailed design with sufficient detail to
permit construction. The detailed design should include comprehensive calculations to
confirm or qualify the outline calculations and assumptions in the outline design. Once
created a landfill can have a life time of 100 yrs.
 Procedure for preparing a landfill is by first proposing it in a limited area, then creating a
landfill and then its operation and capping of landfill.
Proposing the Landfill

For a landfill to be built, the operators have to make sure that they follow certain steps. In most parts
of the world, there are regulations that govern where a landfill can be placed and how it can operate.
The whole process begins with someone proposing the landfill. Before a city or other authority can
build a landfill, an environmental impact study must be done on the proposed site to determine:

 the area of land necessary for the landfill

 the composition of the underlying soil and bedrock
 the flow of surface water over the site
 the impact of the proposed landfill on the local environment and wildlife
 the historical or archaeological value of the proposed site

Parts of a Landfill

Figure 1. This cross-section drawing shows the structure of a municipal solid waste landfill. The arrows indicate the
flow of leachate.

The basic parts of a landfill, as shown in Figure 1, are:

 Bottom liner system - separates trash and subsequent leachate from groundwater
 Cells (old and new) - where the trash is stored within the landfill
 Storm water drainage system - collects rain water that falls on the landfill
 Leachate collection system - collects water that has percolated through the landfill itself and
contains contaminating substances (leachate)
 Methane collection system - collects methane gas that is formed during the breakdown of trash
 Covering or cap - seals off the top of the landfill
How is a Landfill Operated?

Figure 2. This overview shows the supporting stations and structures of a landfill. The drawing is based on the
structure of the North Wake County Landfill in Raleigh, North Carolina.

During landfill operations the waste collection vehicles are weighed at a weighbridge on arrival.
Afterward, the waste collection vehicles use the existing road network on their way to the tipping
face or working front where they unload their load. After loads are deposited, compactors or dozers
are used to spread and compact waste on the working face. Before leaving the landfill boundaries,
the waste collection vehicles pass through the wheel cleaning facility. If necessary, they return to
the weighbridge in order to be weighed without their load. Through the weighing process, the daily
incoming waste tonnage can be calculated .Typically, in the working face; the compacted waste is
 covered with soil daily. Alternative waste-cover materials are several sprayed-on foam products and
temporary blankets. Blankets can be lifted into place with tracked excavators and then removed the
following day prior to waste placement. Chipped wood and chemically 'fixed' bio-solids may also be
used as an alternate daily cover. Waste compaction is critical to extending the life of the landfill.
Factors such as waste compressibility, waste layer thickness and the number of passes of the
compactor over the waste affect the waste densities. Landfill gas contains varying amounts of
nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, sulfur, and other contaminants. Most of these other contaminants
are known as "non-methane organic compounds" or NMOCs. Some inorganic contaminants (for
example mercury) are also known to be present in landfill gas. There are sometimes also radioactive
contaminants (for example tritium) found in landfill gas. The non-methane organic compounds
usually make up less than one percent of landfill gas. Toxic chemicals like benzene, toluene,
chloroform, vinyl chloride, and carbon tetrachloride are also produced.

 But he also mentioned that land filling method has some drawbacks. The Landfill Leachate and
landfill gas are the main landfill hazards that effect the environment. Landfill leachate is harmful for
the environment if it escapes from landfills, and can even be highly toxic due to its high strength of
contamination. , the removal of just the organic content from a highly polluted drainage (such as
landfill leachate) may not be sufficient for treatment where discharge is made to land or into a
watercourse. This is because of the high concentrations of salts and other inorganic pollutants from the
leachate into the natural water cycle, even at low concentrations, may lead to bio-accumulation.

 The toxic gas of methane, a naturally occurring gas created by the decay of organic matter inside
a landfill is the major component of the landfill gases. methane is a greenhouse gas many
times more potent than carbon dioxide, and can itself be a danger to inhabitants of an area)

 The other impacts are:

 fatal accidents (e.g., scavengers buried under waste piles);

 infrastructure damage (e.g., damage to access roads by heavy vehicles);
 residual soil contamination during landfill usage, as well as after landfill closure);
 harboring of disease vectors such as rats and flies, particularly from improperly operated landfills,
 Injuries to wildlife; and simple nuisance problems (e.g., dust, odor, vermin, or noise pollution).
 Environmental noise and dust are generated from vehicles accessing a landfill as well as from
working face operations.

 But he said that here are some remedies to overcome these problems.

 The first thing that we can do is to reduce the waste.

 If we somehow manage to design and construct a landfill so that it can decompose, self-compost,
settle, flush and drain quickly enough to avoid the presence of harmful contaminants the problems
can be eliminated to some extent.
 Also if we are able develop some technology by which we can be reuse, recycle and recover almost
everything from the waste the problems could be solved. Instead of developing these technologies
we can use those raw materials which can be recycled easily.

 Landfills can be regarded as a viable and abundant source of source materials and energy.

 Landfill gas extraction systems can be installed to extract the landfill gas.
 Gas which pumped out of the landfill using perforated pipes and flared off or burnt in a gas
engine can be used to generate electricity. The plant is planning to implement this in the near
future. He added that the other commercial facilities include fossil fuel power plants and waste
incinerators which have build-in material recovery. This material recovery is possible through
the use of filters (electro filter, active carbon and potassium filter, quench, HCL-washer, SO2-
washer, bottom ash-grating, etc.).But because of the high concentration of gases and the
unpredictability of the landfill contents, which often include sharp objects, landfill excavation
is generally considered dangerous. Furthermore, the quality of materials residing within
landfills tends to degrade and such materials are thought to be not worth the risks required to
recover them.

INFERENCE
Every waste needs to be treated in a different manner. Hence the plant first determines the disposal
of each waste. The hazards waste cannot be directly land filled hence the plant treats the waste
before land filling it. The hazardous waste will cause great harm if it leaks in the ground water
bodies. Hence the plant provides different layers of soil to prevent the waste to leak in the
surrounding. The leachate which is created also contains harmful substances hence the plant
provides some treatment to the leachate before they are released into the environment. Landfills
are a viable and abundant source of source materials and energy.
 CONCLUSION
Though we could not see the labs of the plant but we learnt a number of things from the seminar.
We came to know what exactly waste management is all about and also what hazardous waste is all
about. So our purpose of visiting the plant was met. Also we also got an overall idea of how the
waste is handled on a very a large scale. We can have different methods of waste disposal like land
filling, Plasma gasification, Supercritical water decomposition (hydrothermal monophasic oxidation),
Incineration. Hence our motive to understand how the large amount of waste can be managed. We
understood that waste management is a very complex process. We need to know the exact
composition of the waste and accordingly design a suitable treatment process of the waste before it
is land filled. So our motive of knowing what the things are we need to take into account while
handling the waste was fulfilled. There are many problems associated to waste management. Like
land fill leachate is harmful for the environment if it escapes from landfills, and can even be highly
toxic due to its high strength of contamination. So our objective of understanding the problems
associated to waste management was fulfilled. The problem can be reduced by reducing the
formation waste .so our objective of knowing how the problem can be solved was met. The gas that
we obtain from the land fill can be used for electricity generation and can also be used in the fossil
fuel power plant. So our objective of understanding whether we can obtain something useful from
the waste was also met.

As a Student What Will I Do?

I will write a letter to the municipal corporation about the current scenario of the environment. I
will suggest them that they must control the waste produced by the industries. They must punish
those industries that produce large amount of hazardous waste without properly treating them. I
will request them to be strict when they permit an industry to be formed. They must thoroughly get
information of what amount of waste is produced by them. I will write an article in Times of India
regarding the issue of waste management. I will urge the people to re use recycle and recover
useful substances from the waste that is created. I will also request the people to minimize the
waste as much as possible. They should not throw the waste everywhere instead make use of
dustbins. If possible try to segregate the dry and wet waste. I along with my friends will try to clean
our surroundings. This can be done on holidays. I can make a small skit emphasizing on need to
control waste & enact this on the streets. I will make small pamphlets addressing the issue of waste
management & distribute the people during this skit.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

 www.howstuffworks.com

 Maharastra Pollution Control Board Journals dated August 2009

 Maharastra Pollution Control Board Notification of rules dated 24 September 2009