Field based study: Solid waste assessment of Gilgit town

By Farasat Ali (Environmentalist)

Waste is an unwanted or undesired material or substance. It is also referred to as rubbish, trash, garbage, or junk depending upon the type of material and the regional terminology. In living organisms, waste relates to unwanted substances or toxins that are expelled from them, while Waste management is the human control of the collection, treatment and disposal of different wastes. This is in order to reduce the negative impacts waste has on environment and society.

Gilgit is headquarter of the Gilgit-Baltistan, due to emerging population of the area human induce hazards increased from few decades, solid waste is one them. There are two prime type of solid waste in Gilgit town bio-degradable (such as food waste or sewage) and non- biodegradable ( Such as polythene bags, tin, glass, wrappers, blades, syringes and others do not degrade for a long time period).

Findings of our research, In July, 2007 from households of Gilgit town were Average non-degradable solid waste per capita 0.033 kg/day, Average bio-degradable solid waste per capita 0.0974 kg/day; average total non degradable solid waste from households of Gilgit town was 2.3 tonnes/day, average total bio- degradable solid waste from households of Gilgit 6.8 tonnes/day, average total other solid waste from households 1.9 tonnes /day, average total solid waste from households 11 tonnes/day

Solid waste of commercial areas of Gilgit town, Average non degradable solid waste 1.3 kg/shop/day, Average degradable solid waste 1.7 kg/shop/day, average total solid waste per 3.15 kg /shop /day, average total Non-degradable solid waste from commercial area 12.9 tonnes/day, average total degradable solid waste from commercial area 18.6 tonnes/day, average total solid waste from commercial area’s 30.6 tonnes/day

Hospital waste of Gilgit town, a hospital bed generates average 0.5 kg/day, and average total hospital waste was 60 kg/day, approximately total solid waste from Gilgit town area was 41.64 tonnes/day

The Government of the Gilgit-Baltistan and other stakeholders should address the emerging human induce hazards and environmental pollution, these are biggest threat to river ecosystem, water quality, aquatic biota, soil quality and atmospheric pollution; we can solve the solid waste management issues of Gilgit town by using, modern Waste Management Techniques, which are scientific designed landfills sites, Incineration, Volume reduction, Compaction, Shearing, Grinding, Resource Recovery Techniques, Recycling, Composting and Digestion, Paralysis and Gasification.

For further information contact farasatwwf@gmail.com