Solid Waste Management and Cleanliness Initiatives
IIT Kharagpur has adopted mechanized cleaning of roads, using mobile road cleaning machines and mechanized brooms. The use of green (wet waste) and blue (dry waste) coloured dustbins (‘Hara Geela Sookha Neela’) for segregation of wet and dry waste has been adopted. This includes door-to-door collection of segregated waste as well. Active waste segregation has been started along with the adoption of Bio-composting, Vermi-composting and Use of BSF (Black Soldier Fly) for wet waste disposal. The mechanism of food waste disposal has also been streamlined and food waste is collected from Halls of Residence twice daily. The estimated quantity and type of waste generated is shown below. Almost all waste is now composted or recycled or reused.
Estimated amount and types of waste generated on IIT Kharagpur campus
| Financial Year | Total Solid Waste (Tons) |
Horticulture Waste (Tons) |
Dry Waste (Tons) |
Wet Waste (Tons) |
Dry Waste Recycled (Tons) |
Bio/Food Waste Processed (Tons) |
Electronic Waste (Kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 298.00 | 620.00 | 225.00 | 73.00 | 2.50 | 6.00 | 4,230.00 |
| 2023-24 | 247.00 | 650.00 | 215.00 | 32.00 | 1.50 | 5.50 | 3,964.00 |
| 2022-23 | 222.00 | 638.00 | 180.00 | 42.00 | 4.00 | 4.80 | 3,686.00 |
| Type of waste | Estimated amount of waste generated (2023-24) | Estimated amount of waste generated (2022-23) | Estimated amount of waste generated (2021-22) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wet Waste (kg/day) | 2000 | 1200 | 1150 |
| Dry leaves (kg/day) | 500 | 300 | 290 |
| Cartons (kg/month) | 240 | 127 | 125 |
| Iron scrap (kg/month) | 150 | 118 | 115 |
| Plastics (kg/month) | 72 | 50 | 45 |
| Total recycled and reused waste (kg/day) | 2516 | 1510 | 1450 |
| Total recycled and reused waste (kg/year) | 9,05,760 | 5,43,600 | 5,22,000 |
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
In an effort to encourage and create awareness about recycling and reutilization of waste, the following construction practices have been adopted -
- Recycling of reclaimed paver blocks instead of concreting in parking areas and strengthening of road shoulders thereby increasing ground water recharge
- Rotary construction using old tanks
- Use of construction debris for flooring in semi-outdoor areas
- Delineators using old GI water pipes for Road Safety
- Use of excavated boulders for side drains
- Retrieved surfacing layer for road shoulder protection
- Recycling of reclaimed paver blocks into new roads
Photographs of some of the aforementioned initiatives have been provided below.
