Sanitary Waste Management Model of Karad, Maharashtra

Context: Sanitary waste disposal remains a neglected aspect of solid waste management in India, leading to severe environmental degradation, health hazards, and social stigma. Karad, a small city in Maharashtra’s Satara district, offers a replicable model by achieving 100% segregation, collection, and processing of sanitary and biomedical waste.

Key Features of the Karad Model of Sanitary Waste Management

• Daily Waste Collection: 300–350 kg of sanitary waste collected daily from households, clinics, and hospitals.
  • Garbage collection vehicles are equipped with separate bins for sanitary waste.
• Community Engagement & Awareness: Targeted IEC campaigns, workshops, and public outreach to destigmatise sanitary waste.
  • Formation of women’s groups to promote safe disposal practices.
  • Red bins are placed in public toilets to ensure proper disposal by women.
• School Initiatives: Promotion of sanitary pad vending machines and incinerators.
  • Encouragement of hygienic disposal habits among adolescent girls.
• Infrastructure & Disposal Mechanism: Waste sent to a Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility (CBWTF) established via Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with the Karad Hospital Association.
  • Incineration at 1200°C ensures complete disinfection and minimises contamination.
  • Real-time emission monitoring is linked to the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) systems.

Innovative Approaches for Sanitary Waste Management

• PPP Model: Reduced operational costs for the Municipal Council; private partner handles treatment.
• Women-Centric Approach: Empowered women as change agents in waste awareness and management.
• High-Tech Monitoring: Continuous emissions monitoring ensured adherence to environmental standards.

Impact

• Public Health Benefits: Reduced risk of disease transmission and safer working conditions for sanitation workers.
• Environmental Gains: Prevention of open dumping and groundwater contamination.
• Social Upliftment: Breaking taboos, improving menstrual hygiene awareness, especially among women and adolescents.
• Scalable & Replicable: Offers a viable template for other small and mid-sized urban areas.

Takeaways for Governance and Policy

• An integrated approach combining awareness, infrastructure, and institutional collaboration can effectively tackle sensitive waste issues.
• PPP models are viable for specialised waste treatment services.
• Community participation and gender-sensitive strategies enhance the success and sustainability of urban sanitation programs.

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