PLANET EARTH

Various types of wastes such as Municilal or domestic wastes, hazardous wastes, Bio-Medical wastes get generated in power plant areas, plant hospital and the townships of projects. The wastes generated are a number of solid and hazardous wastes like used oils & waste oils, grease, lead acid batteries, other lead bearing wastes (such as garkets etc.), oil & clarifier sludge, used resin, used photochemicals, asbestos packing, e-waste, metal scrap, C&I wastes, electricial scrap, empty cylinders (refillable), paper, rubber products, canteen (bio-degradable) wastes, buidling material wastes, silica gel, glass wool, fused lamps & tubes, fire resistant fluids etc. These wastes fall either under hazardous wastes category or non-hazardous wastes category as per classification given in Government of India’s notification on Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules 1989 (as amended on 06.01.2000 & 20.05.2003). Handling and manegement of these wastes in NTPC stations have been discussed below.


Municipal Waste Management: 

Domestic or municipal waste is generated in households at townships. This waste is seggregated into bio-degradable and nonbiodegradable wastes at source itself in different coloured containers and
thereafter the two types are disposed separately. Bio-degradable waste is spread uniformly in identified low lying areas and thereafter it is covered with soil for use later as manure after composting. The seggregated non bio-degradable waste is disposed off separately in other identified low lying areas and is spread out
uniformly.

Hazardous Waste Management:

NTPC being a proactive organization, the handling and disposal of hazardous wastes are done as per the Hazardous Wastes (Management & Handling) Rules 1989 (as amended in 2003) guidelines issued by
Government of India for the treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous wastes. Scientific study on management and handling of hazardous wastes was carried out at a few NTPC stations to adopt the best practices so that there is a complete compliance with statutory requirements. In NTPC sataione, the Hazardous Wastes (Recyclable) are sold / auctioned to registered recyclers / refiners. The other
hazardous wastes such as the activated carbon resins, used drums (hazardous) chromium (Cr-III electrolytes, used petro-chemicals, asbestos packings, used torch batteries, ribbon, toners / cartridges, mixed wastes (waste oil, water & cotton) filters, earth contaminated with synthetic oil (FQF) glass used & sodium silicate,
lamps & tubes etc. fall under the category of Hazardous Wastes (Non-Recyalable). These wastes are small in quantity and are stored in properly identified locations. As per the notification, hazardous wastes (non-recyalable) are to be sent to State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) approved common treatment storage and disposal facility (TSDF).

Bio-Medical Waste Management:

Hospital (or Bio-medical) wastes get generated from hospitals and they include urine bags, human anatomical wastes, plaster of paris waste, empty plastic bottles of water & glucose, blood & chemical mixed cotton, blood & urines tubes etc. these wastes are segregated and are placed in buckets of different colours as per the notification for Bio-Medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules. The seggregated bio-medical wastes are either disposed through the SPCB approved agency or they are treated in autoclaves before disposal into bio-medical waste disposal pits. The treated bio-medical waste is spread uniformly and covered with 10 cm thick soil in bio-medical waste disposal pits.