Solid Waste Dumping Research Articles

Population abundance and threats to Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus and Red-naped Ibis Pseudibis papillosa at study sites in Jhajjar district, Haryana, India

The Black-headed Ibis and Red-naped Ibis are large wading birds of the order Pelecaniformes. This study documents abundance and threats affecting both species at Dighal, Gochhi, and Chhochhi villages located in Jhajjar district, Haryana, India. Field visits were made twice a month at each site from October 2020 to September 2021. Dighal had proportionately the largest populations of both species. Black-headed Ibis were most abundant in wetlands and Red-naped Ibis in agricultural areas. Populations of both species did not vary among seasons. Major threats observed included dumping of solid waste, fishing, growth of weeds, release of untreated sewage, collisions with transmission lines, grazers (e.g., cattle and goats), and stray dogs. The findings of this study suggest that despite having sizable populations near Dighal, both species face major threats and conservation efforts will require monitoring and management of ibis habitat.

LEACHATE TRANSPORT PHENOMENON ON GROUNDWATER QUALITY: MODELING USING MODFLOW AND MT3DMS TOOLS

<p>The dumping of solid waste in uncontrolled landfills can cause significant impacts on the environment and human health. The open dumps cause the formation of leachate which contaminated the groundwater; use of these groundwater reported danger to the human health. The goal of groundwater protection is necessary to control the release and migration of pollutants from the leachate in the subsurface. In this paper, the above-mentioned problems were dealt with the case study of Ariyamangalam open dumping site, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu. The dump site receives 71% of organic waste. The groundwater flow and leachate transport model was developed using Visual MODFLOW and MT3DMS (Version 4.3), to study the leachate transport in the subsurface and to predict the plume behavior under different scenarios. The conceptual model of the system was derived from the information on geology, geo physical and geo hydrology of the study area. The total dissolved solids (TDS) were taken as a parameter, to study the extent of contaminant plume for the next nine years (2014-2022). From the groundwater flow model, it was found that the increase in water level by 2.5 m above MSL from December 2010 (70.9 m above MSL) to December 2022 (73.4 m above MSL) around the study area. From the leachate transport model, the predicted TDS plume movement was identified towards the west and south east directions of the open dumping area. As a conclusion, the developed groundwater flow and leachate transport model can be effectively used for studying the leachate migration from the open dumping site into subsurface system.</p>

Spatial and temporal variation of vegetation cover in the main mining area of Qibaoshan Town, China: Potential impacts from mining damage, solid waste discharge and land reclamation

The increasing frequency of mining activities in the world has led to many environmental pollution problems, such as mine wastewater discharge, mine solid waste dumps, and mine dust dispersion. These problems have negative implications for the environment and the public health of people living nearby the mining areas. Despite this, there are few methods to determine the state of mine pollution on a regional scale. Therefore, we applied remote sensing technologies to assess the mine pollution situation, especially the mine solid waste pollution, of a mining area, taking Qibaoshan Town, Liuyang City, Hunan Province, China, as an example. In our research, we have calculated the vegetation cover change of the Qibaoshan Town over the years (2000–2020), charted the vegetation coverage grade maps, and analysed the tendency of vegetation cover changes, to infer the mine pollution situation, the progress of pollution treatment and the efforts made by the local government and the mines on mine pollution disposal and the land reclamation. Additionally, mining damage can bring about geological hazards such as surface subsidence leading to vegetation destruction, while mining solid waste pollution and discharge can occupy a large amount of land and thus lead to vegetation reduction. As a result, this method of calculating FVC changes in a mining area is particularly suitable for assessing the extent of mining damage, the status of solid waste pollution and discharge, and the progress of land reclamation. In the abstract, we claim that this short communication article serves as a guide to start a conversation, and encourages experts and scholars to engage in this area of research.

Targeting Plastics: Machine Learning Applied to Litter Detection in Aerial Multispectral Images

The occurrence of litter in natural areas is nowadays one of the major environmental challenges. The uncontrolled dumping of solid waste in nature not only threatens wildlife on land and in water, but also constitutes a serious threat to human health. The detection and monitoring of areas affected by litter pollution is thus of utmost importance, as it allows for the cleaning of these areas and guides public authorities in defining mitigation measures. Among the methods used to spot littered areas, aerial surveillance stands out as a valuable alternative as it allows for the detection of relatively small such regions while covering a relatively large area in a short timeframe. In this study, remotely piloted aircraft systems equipped with multispectral cameras are deployed over littered areas with the ultimate goal of obtaining classification maps based on spectral characteristics. Our approach employs classification algorithms based on random forest approaches in order to distinguish between four classes of natural land cover types and five litter classes. The obtained results show that the detection of various litter types is feasible in the proposed scenario and the employed machine learning algorithms achieve accuracies superior to 85% for all classes in test data. The study further explores sources of errors, the effect of spatial resolution on the retrieved maps and the applicability of the designed algorithm to floating litter detection.

Appraisal of groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation suitability using multivariate statistical approach in a rapidly developing urban area, Tirunelveli, India.

The quantitative and qualitative stress on groundwater resources has been witnessed across the globe. The current study assesses the groundwater quality of Tirunelveli district which faces the hazard of groundwater contamination through seepage of toxins, considering the open dumping ofhuge volumes of solid waste. The findings from this study confirmed the presence of more than 20% samples in the "poor to very poor" quality with high concentrations of TDS, Cl-, and NO3-, unfit for drinking, and other domestic purposes. The spatial distribution of TDS and NO3- highlighted the potentialimpact of solid waste dumping in the nearby landfill sites. K-means hierarchical clustering and multivariate analysis suggested that salinization and nitrate pollution was highly influenced by anthropogenic sources in comparison to geogenic sources. Rock water interaction and evaporation processes emerged as the two major dominant natural mechanisms controlling the groundwater chemistry. Four hydro-chemical facies were identified in the order of Ca-HCO3 > Ca-Mg-Cl > Na-Cl > mixed Ca-Na-HCO3. Thus, this study creates an urgent need of mitigation measures towards curbing and management of solid waste disposal and hence, the potential hazard ofcontaminant seepage into the groundwater.

Region-specific improvisation on WHO case definition and environmental risk factors associated with dengue: a case-control analysis from Kerala, India.

Region-specific variations may occur in symptomatic manifestations that need to be addressed by dynamic case definitions. Environmental risk factors for dengue also vary widely across geographic settings. Our aim was to study the test positivity rate of the World Health Organization (WHO) 2009 probable dengue case definition and to suggest region-specific improvisations to it. The study also analyses the sociodemographic and environmental risk factors of dengue fever in South Kerala, India. A case-control study was conducted in South Kerala from 2017 to 2019. Dengue reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-positive and RT-PCR-negative 'probable dengue' patients were compared to identify significant symptoms for a modified definition of dengue. A group of afebrile community controls was compared with RT-PCR-positive dengue cases to study the environmental and behavioural risk factors. Arthralgia, palmar erythema and rashes have high discriminatory power (odds ratio [OR] >3) for identifying dengue. Redness of eyes, altered consciousness, abdominal distension and chills were found to moderately discriminate (OR 2-3) dengue. The adjusted analysis showed the presence of mosquito breeding sites (indoor p=0.02, outdoor p=0.03), solid waste dumping (p<0.001) and open water drainage in the compound (p=0.007) as significant predictors. Regional modifications should be considered when using the WHO definition in endemic settings. Control of mosquito breeding at the household level is the key towards dengue prevention.

Comparative assessment of groundwater vulnerability using GIS-based DRASTIC and DRASTIC-AHP for Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu India.

The groundwater is very precious in the world. Rapid urbanization and industrialization create tremendous stress on groundwater quality and quantity. Unscientific groundwater extraction and waste disposal methods impact the groundwater aquifer's susceptibility in the coastal area. This research examines how industrial waste, seawater intrusion, and solid waste dumping affect the Thoothukudi District, located on the southwest coast of Tamil Nadu, India. The groundwater vulnerability potential is determined using the DRASTIC and analytical hierarchy process (AHP)-based DRASTIC model. DRASTIC-AHP method's weights and ranks are determined using multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA)-based pairwise comparison method. Remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) are implemented to prepare the input layers for DRASTIC and DRASTIC-AHP. The findings reveal a very high category of vulnerability along the coastline that is covered in sand and loose sediments from an aquifer. Similar conditions exist on the southeast side, which is covered with gravel, sand, and sandstone with shale and has relatively low-slope topography. This enables higher contaminant percolation into the groundwater and raises the possibility for pollution. The DRASTIC-AHP method's results reveal that the southeast side has a significant possibility of contamination. The water table, net recharge, vadose zone, and conductivity greatly impacted the DRASTIC vulnerability assessment due to their stronger weight than theoretical weight. It may be stated that the DRASTIC technique is more cost-effective and time-efficient in analyzing a wide range of regional groundwater risks while avoiding sloppy, uncontrolled land development and other unwanted activities.

First report on microplastics in tributaries of the upper Ganga River along Dehradun, India: Quantitative estimation and characterizations

Microplastic (MP) contamination has appeared as pollution of global concern in the aquatic as well as the terrestrial environment. In India, very few studies are available on MP load in freshwater ecosystems despite knowing the fact that rivers play a major role in transporting MPs into the marine ecosystem. This research estimates a load of MP in water and sediments of disappearing tributaries (Suswa, Rispana and Bindal) of the River Ganga at Dehradun, India. The water and sediment samples were collected from 22 locations and analyzed for MP occurrence and characterizations (size, shape, polymer types, and colour abundances) and physicochemical parameters as well. The average MP load was found to be in the ranges of 7200–16,400 items/kg in sediments and 2800–4200 items/L in water in the studied sites. The highest MP load occurred in Suswa followed by, Rispana and Bindal. ATR-FTIR analysis revealed polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) as the dominant polymer groups of MP in the studied sites. Fibers/ threads (41%) were the dominant shapes found in water samples while fragments (38%) were in the case of sediment. White and black colour MP occurred in the highest amount in both water and sediments. Principle component analysis suggested the mixing of urban runoff and sewage as the major contributors of MPs in studied tributaries. In summary, illegal dumping of urban solid waste in river catchment areas, human encroachment near the river sides, direct disposal of sewage and industrial effluents, etc. could be a major source of MPs in such urban rivers.

Air quality monitoring and forecasting using smart drones and recurrent neural network for sustainable development in Chennai city

• Air Pollution due to dumpsite is important to have sustainable development. • Various factors that affect the air pollution are considered for dumpsite. • Smart Drones used to monitor air quality at different altitude. • Recurrent Neural Network is used to predict the air quality in the dumpsite. • The predicted and observed values were compared and have good correlation. Air quality monitoring is essential due to increased pollution and health hazards in today's world. Several studies are being conducted to evaluate air quality in metropolitan cities, but certain key research gaps such as the inconsistency in measuring multiple pollutants, and the capability of the models to deal with multiple pollutant concentrations remain unaddressed. Initially, a Smart Drone is designed to monitor 9 different pollutants present in the air in a Metropolitan City. Air quality parameters are monitored using drones in and around solid waste dump yards. Real-time data for training is used for the bidirectional gated recurrent unit (Bi-GRU) network model development. The network model estimates the concentration of different contaminants in the air based on the training, delivering information about air quality in various places. The model yielded average RMSE values of 1.63, 1.35, and 1.47 for solid waste dumpsites, residential areas, and industrial areas. Similarly, the average MAE of the proposed model for waste disposal sites is 0.25, 0.89 for the industrial sector, and 0.75 for the residential area. This combined method of deploying smart drones to monitor air quality and a deep learning model to forecasting it will aid in urban sustainable planning and development.

Multivariate statistics and hydrogeochemistry of deep groundwater at southwestern part of Bangladesh

Multivariate statistics and GIS alone with geochemical modeling were applied to investigate the hydro-geochemical characteristics of groundwater and their spatial distribution in the deep aquifer system of Bagherpara Upazila, Bangladesh. This Upazila consists of an area of 308.3 km2 and local people mostly rely on groundwater to meet the drinking water requirements. Water samples from one hundred randomly selected deep tube wells (152–198 m) were collected and analyzed for 14 water quality parameters to characterize the hydro-geochemical properties. The groundwater shows slight alkaline in nature throughout the study area. Most of the water samples were turbid and 68% of them failed to meet the drinking water quality standard prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO). TDS concentration ranges between 280 mg/L and 1040 mg/L, with a mean value of 446.20 (±122.19) mg/L. The general order of cation and anion along the study area were Ca2+>Mg2+>Na+>K+ and HCO3->Cl−>PO43->SO42->NO3- respectively. Carbonate weathering is the dominant process for releasing ions in groundwater. Besides, the ion exchange process is active in the study area, which leads to the reduction of Na+ ions. Gibb's plot suggests a rock dominance inheritance controls the dissolution and precipitation of minerals along with the ion-exchange process, and ultimately dictates the groundwater chemistry. Besides, the Piper diagram showed that Ca2+-Mg2+-SO42- is the dominant water type in 65% of the samples followed by Ca2+-Mg2+–HCO3- water type (35%). The abundance of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions and the alkaline nature of groundwater indicate mixed geochemical facies and reverse exchange reactions. The principal component analysis (PCA) reveals that weathering and leaching of host rocks was the main natural source, while municipal solid waste dumping, sewage discharge, and fertilizer application could be other anthropogenic factors that affect the groundwater geochemistry. In fine, the chemical characteristics of groundwater were acquired through rock dissolution, percolation, and reverse exchange process.

Performance of Lagoon Ash As Bottom Liner in MSW Landfill

Proper management of Municipal Solid Waste dumping in landfill site require adequate bottom liner to mitigate the seepage of leachate from contaminating the ground. To make landfill system sustainable, adequate liners are provided at the bottom of engineered landfill system. Liners act as impermeable cover mitigating effect of leachate on ground and groundwater. Pond ash collected from lagoon of thermal power plant is a preferable building material for municipal solid waste impounding system if properly stabilized and compacted. To meet the mandatory requirement of landfill liner having permeability 10-7 cm/sec or less, detailed experimental study was carried out on pond ash collected from Nalco Captive Power Plant, Angul, India. The parameters Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) and coefficient of permeability (K) were determined by conducting the laboratory experiments following Indian standard code procedure for all the mixes as stated in Table 1. Experimental results of UCS test were found to increase the strength upto 5.4 MPa for S3 mix sample after curing period of 180 days. It was further observed that for the sample S7 mix the strength reached upto 6.9MPa which was due to the binding effect of 1% gypsum in the mix. The hydraulic conductivity value of stabilized Pond Ash came down to 10-7 cm/sec after 180 days of curing period even after acid and base permeation. It was observed from R square value established for all sample mixes of pond ash that a strong linear correlation existed between curing time and UCS value. The strength and permeability results clearly indicate that pond ash, stabilized with optimum mix of lime-gypsum satisfies both Environmental Protection Agency (U.S) and Central Pollution Control Board (India) guidelines for landfill liner. Hence lime and gypsum stabilised pond ash is proved to be an effective eco-friendly material adhering to the requirements of landfill bottom liner for MSW engineered landfill system.

Geospatial alternatives for quantification of bio-thermal influence zone in the vicinity of a solid waste dump.

Owing to the release of toxic gases, leachate and thermal emissions that originate from waste dumps, these sites significantly impact environmental sustainability. The study attempts to assess the deleterious impact of municipal solid waste (MSW) dump on surrounding forested landscape by employing geospatial technologies, which are cost and time-effective. For this purpose, temporal period ranging from 2015 to 2020, having 41 valid satellite observations has been selected for study. Firstly, the radii of intense hazardous zone and hazardous zone have been measured, as two separate parameters, which are 580 ± 30 m and 1260 ± 30 m, respectively. Secondly, average spatial extent of bio-influence zone is measured to be 1262 m while the average thermal influence zone extends up to 530 m around the MSW dumping site. A detailed analysis of influence zone variations reveals that the bio-influence zone depends on multitude of meteorological parameters, whereas the thermal influence zone relies mainly on seasonal temperature fluctuations. Moreover, the level of severity of emissions from MSW decomposition directly depends upon temperature. The long-term variability analysis of these hazardous zones reveals the stationarity of their spatial extents, signifying forest resilience. This study has proved significance of geospatial techniques as an alternate of expensive and time intensive assessment methods involving in situ measurements. So the proposed technique is beneficial for environmentalists, decision-makers and municipal authorities for analysing the extent and severity of MSW pollutants for forest community to address the problem of ecological degradation.

Assessment of soil quality at selected sites around Karwi town, Chitrakoot (Uttar Pradesh), India

Every living organism on this planet prioritises food. Sustainable crop production is the need of the present hour to fulfil the basic needs of the large population of the country. The production of any crop, along with many other factors, largely depends on the soil quality of the area. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to ascertain the quality of the soil in the study area. To fulfil the aim of the present study, four sites {Karwi Mafi (SS-1), Karwi (SS-2), Amanpur (SS-3), and Narainpur (SS-4)} were selected around Karwi town, Chitrakoot (Uttar Pradesh), India. The soil samples were collected from the selected sites following the Grab sampling method for 12 months (January 2021 to December 2021). A total of 80 soil samples were collected and analysed for various physical parameters, primary and secondary nutrients, micronutrients, and heavy metals. The results obtained showed that soil moisture ranged from 44.56% to 48.12%. Among all the four sites, the soil quality of SS-03 (pH=6.79±0.03) was observed to be slightly acidic in nature. Phosphorous ranged from 48.10 to 56.53 mg/kg. Similarly, all other studied primary and secondary nutrients were observed in sufficient quantity at all the study sites. The concentration of all the studied micronutrients (Cd, Cu, Mn, Zn, and Fe) ranged from 0.95-1.31 mg/kg, 4.39-5.23 mg/kg, 2.47-3.62 mg/kg, 14.29-21.42 mg/kg, and 4.83-6.01 mg/kg, respectively. Chromium ranged from 0.96 to 1.58 mg/kg. On the basis of the present study, it can be concluded that the quality of soil in the study area is in good condition. The findings of the present study are important as they reveal the soil quality of pure residential and agricultural areas without any anthropogenic or natural dumping of solid or liquid waste.

The Effect of Uncontrolled Dumping of Solid Waste on Groundwater in Osun State, Nigeria

Background: This study analyzed physical, chemical and heavy metal properties of groundwater in well water and tap water (6 each) around eight dumpsites in Osun State, Nigeria. Two Batches of Samples were collected (Batch A &amp; B) which were respectively obtained in January and July. Heavy metals were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) and this led to the investigation of the impacts of open dumpsite on groundwater quality, the concentration of the examined variables where compared with World Health Organization (WHO) standard limits of drinking water. Results: The pH in water samples range from 5.2-8.6, conductivity in samples range from 100-260 µS. Nitrate in water samples range from 3.1151 mg/L-12.179 mg/L, chloride in water samples range from 15.2mg/L-151.6 mg/L. Total Hardness (TH) in water samples range from 34 mg/L-146 mg/L, lead in well water range from none detected to 0.97 mg/L and tap water range from 0.00 mg/L-1.00 mg/L. Cadmium in well water range from none detected to 0.007 mg/L and all samples in tap water range from 0.069 mg/L-0.240 mg/L. Some of these parameters were found to exceed the World Health Organization standard limit in well water and tap water. Concentrations ofheavy metals and chemicals parameters such as chromium, lead, and iron were found to be higher in groundwater in batch B tap water and batch A well water, while, total hardness and NOˉ3 were the chemical parameters with higher concentrations in most water samples. Conclusion: The result shows that some groundwater sources are unfitted for the consumption in Osun State.

Economic valuation of ecosystem services for application of circular economy approach in conservation of Kundapura mangroves of Karnataka, India

AbstractCoastal areas are overwhelmingly rich in resources and support the livelihoods of the local communities. Coastal mangrove ecosystem provides a wide range of goods and services for human needs and wellbeing. To value conservation benefits of 252.29 ha extent of Kundapura mangrove ecosystem's goods and services, an economic valuation study was conducted using Systems of Environmental Economics Accounting (SEEA) framework. In total, seven ecosystem benefits were identified under provisioning, regulating and cultural services categories of SEEA. Identified baskets of benefits are fisheries, timber, fuelwood, protection against storms and floods, water quality maintenance, carbon sequestration, recreation and tourism. Out of seven benefits, the present study has found that the disturbance regulation benefit's contribution, which is about 92.65% of overall benefits with its economic value, US$1.786 million per year (17.86 lakh). Disturbance regulation benefit has significant role in reducing the impact of vulnerability from coastal hazards and sheltering 4354 individuals of population occupying 1088 houses. Despite that fact, Kundapura mangrove's assets are being degraded by various negative externalities. Particularly reclamation for aquaculture purpose and consequent discharging of the effluents, and dumping of sludge and municipal solid wastes (MSWs). These externalities would exacerbate the environmental problems and impacts on the flow of benefits. Hence, circular economic approach as pioneering to renovate the current linear system into circular one through 3R's strategy (reduce, reuse, and recycle) in the process of production, distribution, and consumption of ecosystem goods and services. This research paper explains about the application of circular economic approach in conservation management by assessing economic valuation of Kundapura mangrove's specific services. This approach is expected to finally result in aiding decision‐making process to limit the quantity of polluting residuals and control the degradation activities thereby sustain the mangroves in good health. Further the regeneration and expansion of mangrove extent would improve the mangrove‐dependent fishery, promote sustainable tourism, and maximize the coastal protection and economic benefits in this region. This will go a long way in sustaining the health of the otherwise fragile mangrove ecosystem of Kundapura coastal stretch, which is under the category of Critically Vulnerable Coastal Areas (CCVAs), identified under CRZ of India.

Identifying Municipal Solid Waste Dumping Site Location Using AHP and GIS Techniques: A Case Study of Coimbatore District, India

Identifying Municipal Solid Waste Dumping Site Location Using AHP and GIS Techniques: A Case Study of Coimbatore District, India

Development and application of a prioritization and rehabilitation decision support tool for uncontrolled waste disposal sites in developing countries.

The uncontrolled dumping of solid waste is widespread in many developing countries with most of all generated wastes being indiscriminately disposed of in an unsanitary manner that entails significant environmental and public health risks. It is imperative to prioritize dumpsites based on their relative risks so that the necessary control and remedial measures can be undertaken. This research aimed to formulate a pragmatic prioritization and rehabilitation decision tool that can be utilized in low- and middle-income countries to guide decision makers in prioritizing dumpsites for remediation and in identifying the most suitable rehabilitation option for municipal as well as construction and demolition waste. The established prioritization model presents an integrated, risk-based approach to developing a decision-making tool for dumpsite prioritization and rehabilitation. The rehabilitation tool drew on a decision tree module to develop the appropriate remedial measures required for each site. The model proved to be effective in prioritizing uncontrolled solid waste disposal sites in Lebanon and for adopting control and remedial measures that can considerably improve decision-making. The improper disposal of solid waste adversely affects public health and the environment in, to a greater or lesser extent, almost all low- and middle-income countries. Considering that it is unfeasible to remediate all uncontrolled solid waste disposal sites at once, the proposed model facilitates the evaluation process by prioritizing sites for closure and remediation based on their relative risks. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:436-445. © 2022 SETAC.

The Positive Effects of Covid-19 Lockdown on Environmental Attributes: A Review

The effect of covid 19 on human health was devastating and the fatality rate was high around the world. World Health Organization declared the outburst of this infectious disease a pandemic situation. To check the rapid dispersal of the COVID-19 virus, most countries of the world enforced quarantine and strict lockdown. The effects of COVID-19 lockdown on environmental health draw the attention of the scientific communities. Therefore, this research paper inspected and narratively reviewed the observed effects of COVID-19 lockdown on the changes in the environmental quality based on secondary research data. The work provides a distinct indication considering the impacts executed by COVID-19 lockdown on the air, water, soil, and noise as typical environment elements. It has been widely reported that the amount of pollution in the air, water, soil, and noise exhibited a significant decline during lockdown period. It has been noticed in different literature that global air quality improved because of less anthropogenic emissions of air contaminants and atmospheric particles. For instance, releases of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and particulate matter are reduced and ozone layers were reported to being increased. Aquatic life and water ecosystem have also been restored in many countries due to less commercial fishing. Moreover, soil pollution was less due to a significant decrease in solid and water waste dumping. Because of less transportation of vehicles, industrial and other urban activities, sound pollution dropped to a significant level. Clean beaches, transparent seawater, wildlife sightings and free movement of animals and birds were also found in some counties during lockdown. However, these effects of lockdown were temporary, as the world again enters the pre-lockdown situation. Human attitudes must be changed to continue the positive impact on the environment. World policymakers should take the necessary steps to guarantee the steadiness of the positive environmental effects derived from the COVID-19 lockdown.

SOLID WASTE AUDITING AND MANAGEMENT PLAN AND POLICY IN JHARGRAM MUNICIPALITY, WEST BENGAL, INDIA

Waste (or waste) is useless or unusable materials or components that are discarded after principal use. Sometimes, it is a defective article and of no use. In the modern outlook, waste may be a valuable substance subject to an appropriate operation or action on the waste. In the context of waste management RRR (reduce, reuse and recycle) model may be followed appropriately.Pollution from waste is aesthetically unpleasing and results in large amounts of litter in our communities which can cause health problems. Plastic bags and discarded ropes and strings can be very dangerous to birds and other animals. This indicator addresses waste production and disposal, plastic waste, paper waste, food waste, and recycling. Solid waste can be divided into two categories: general waste and hazardous waste.Jhargram Municipality is one of the fastest developing Municipalities in West Bengalwith a population of 61,682 anda population density of 2882.33 /sq km in 2011 but at the present near about 92000. This Municipality has around 19775 houses, markets, apartments and offices, colleges, hospitals, and schools which generate 79 Metric Ton of solid waste per day. The study has been carried out to select solid waste disposal sites and to find out the suitable management strategies forthe solid waste system by using Geographical Information System techniques. Manually field observation and expert opinion have been taken for disposal site selection thematic layers are prepared using Remote Sensing and GIS technique. Finally, theGeographicalInformation System technique was applied in Arc GIS Software to identify the disposal sites. The leading problem is the open dumping of solid waste without recycling, which resulted in environmental pollution for thisjhargram Municipality. The auditor diagnoses the prevailing waste disposal policies and suggests the best way to combat the problems. It is therefore essential that any environmentally responsible institution and authority examine its waste processing practices. Keeping the objective of the audit the following study will be limited to the waste generated on the residence campus and surroundings.The study has been decided with some productive management strategies which may be helpful to the local people as well as municipal authority.

Spatio-temporal Effects of Anthropogenic Disturbances on Macroinvertebrates in Subukia River, Kenya

Anthropogenic disturbances modify river habitat conditions and influence the distribution of biotic communities. However, the effect of anthropogenic disturbances on macroinvertebrates is unknown for the Subukia River, despite its importance as a source of water for the local people and a habitat for organisms. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of study site locality and seasonal variability on macroinvertebrate characteristics in the Subukia River. Nine study sites were chosen to correspond with livestock watering and human activities such as laundry washing, water abstraction, cultivation, dumping of solid wastes, settlements along the riparian zone and clearance of riparian vegetation. Mean invertebrate abundance, Shannon-Wiener diversity index, a Multimetric index, Taxa richness, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera (EPT) abundance and richness and Dominance index were determined. The results of the study showed that study site locality had a significant effect on Taxa richness (p=0.003), EPT abundance (p = 0.003) and richness (p=0.02), Shannon-Wiener diversity (p=0.003) and Multimetric index (p=0.003). Seasonal variability only had a significant effect on Taxa richness (p=0.01). In conclusion, most macroinvertebrate characteristics are influenced by anthropogenic disturbances and are less influenced by seasonal variability.