Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM)-Based Approach for Selection of Solid Waste Disposal Site

Abstract

There are various well-established and time-tested decision-making techniques and tools available for selection of appropriate landfill site for disposal facility of municipal solid waste. Each of these technique has its own merits and demerits, depending on its suitability, fulfillment of requirements and satisfactory of a set of criteria. A comprehensive questionnaire is prepared to obtain information from experts, academicians and government officials who have been working in the field of the landfill site and its management. The questionnaire comprised questions related to physical/chemical, biological/ecological, social/cultural and economical/operational aspects. The present work is to select suitable landfill site for safe and hygienic disposal of waste among the three landfill sites, i.e., Kareli, Alopibagh and Phaphamau landfill sites, by rapid impact assessment matrix (RIAM) analysis. Exhaustive surveys are conducted from the residents near of all the three landfill sites. The responses are analyzed by RIAM tool to quantify the intangible effects in terms of the environmental score (ES). The ES for all the three sites to intelligibly ascertain the efficacy of the systems/methodologies involved in a solid waste disposal facility. The results revealed that Kareli landfill site relatively better site as compared with Alopibagh and Phaphamau landfill site.