Integrated Approaches Towards Solid Waste Management

In the developing countries, pollution through solid waste, sludge from water and wastewater treatment plants and pollution of natural water resources have become one of the grave issues. The root cause  is  population explosion, industrialization, urbanization and other anthropogenic activities. The increase rate of solid waste has become a major challenge for sustainable development of the environment. Poor management of solid waste and sludge from water and wastewater treatment plants may be the cause of health hazards and environmental problems. The book presents new methods and technologies to combat the aforementioned problems and focuses on the importance  of using the recycled products. The technologies related to waste and sludge treatment are economical, eco-friendly and bring economic returns, and can be applied to most of the developing countries where  waste treatment technologies, viz. composting, anaerobic digestion, recycling of plastic and agricultural waste in construction can be used. The aim of the book is to support everyone who is involved in academics, teaching, research related to solid waste management and water and wastewater treatment study in the leading academic and research organizations globally. This book will be of prodigious value to upcoming researchers, scholars, scientists and professionals in Environmental Science and Engineering fields, and global and local authorities and policy makers responsible for the management of solid wastes and sludge. Globally, universities can develop new prospectuses on sustainable and eco-friendly waste and sludge management, which are relating to the book’s theme. This book can also be of great source for designing and operation of waste reuse and recycling programmes.

Ajay Kalamdhad, Professor at the Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, has been conducting research in several  projects  funded by various agencies  along with his team in the specialized areas of solid waste management by microbial and vermicomposting; Aerobic and anaerobic digestion of kitchen waste and industrial sludge for biogas production. He is also supervising 18 PhD scholars and over 10 PhD dissertations have been completed under his supervision.

Professor Kalamdhad also serves  as an editorial board member/reviewer for several national/international journals of repute and has contributed over 150 papers in many of these highly respected journals. He has published six book chapters and five international books and is a member of several National and International Waste Management Associations including  International Solid Waste Association, National Solid Waste Association of India, Indian Water Works Association, Biological & Environmental Engineering Society and  Asia-Pacific Chemical.