(Proceedings, First International Conference on Renewable Energy, 6–8 October 2004, New Delhi, pp. PG-179-180).
Waste is a result of human activities from the dawn of civilization, which has become more prominent during and after the industrial revolution and today the accumulation of waste has become the consequences of the life in an industrialized society. The rapid increase in the density of the population in selected areas as a result of urbanization and industrialization is making collection; treatment and disposal of waste a surmountable problem with serious sociological, ecological and economical implications. Solid waste has been produced since beginning of utilization. The collection and disposal of solid waste is a big task, taking into consideration of conventional disposal method. Dumping land is an essential resource for waste disposal. In Nashik city from so many years the method adopted for municipal solid waste is dumping it into open land at dumping sides. The dumping side selected was though far away from city area near by National high way no. 3. But the rapid growth of industrialization and increasing population the majority of nearby city land is come in use under construction of residential and commercial building. Today the ever-increasing Nashik city surrounds the site from so many years used for disposal of Nashik city municipal solid waste located in Panchavati area. The open dumping of solid waste from domestic, commercial, general municipal, hospital waste and agricultural market waste in crude state is imposing serious environmental problems leading to serious health problems to the nearby living peoples. The problem of odour and fly and mosquitoes are serious during winter and summer. The corporation authorities are burning the solid waste to reduce volume in open atmospheric conditions. Depending upon the direction of stream of wind flow majority of residential area is covered during day and night consisting of poisonous gases resulting into serious health problems. To overcome the problem related to municipal waste depot, the city people many times demonstrated the problems to corporation authorities. Considering the long pending problem the Nashik municipal corporation is locating another site for waste depot, but the nearby villages or peoples are protesting considering the future environmental implications hence till today the corporation authorities are not able to shift the waste depot which become as a heart of city. Various corporations also face the similar problems. The municipal solid waste of a city is proportional to the epopulation, and industrialization and figures vary from 0.4 to 0.5 kg per person per day. The composition of refuse varies with the type of city and also varies with the area of activity of the city from season to season. Considering the municipal disposal problem faced by Nashik municipal corporation, this paper focuses the power generation from municipal solid waste through the biomethanation route, which will result into conversion of waste into energy and other useful products resulting into reduced problem of air, water pollution.
Human activities, Industrial revolution, Accumulation of waste, Rapid increase, Density of the population, Surmountable problem, Waste disposal
