Where is Karaj waste management node?

Karaj - From the concentration of waste in Halkadara to regulatory notices about contractors, Karaj waste management is facing challenges that make it necessary to review official statistics and hold officials accountable.

Arjan Ambassador of the Provinces Group, Hamidreza Abdul Manafi: Waste management in Alborz province, especially in the city of Karaj, is no longer finished by collecting garbage from the bins and taking it to the burial place. Production volume, separation from origin, recycling, leachate, depot centers, contractors' work and supervision of all these circles are part of this case. The population has increased and the city has moved towards new settlements; So this question is raised more seriously than in the past, whether the current structure still works or not!

The concentration of a large part of this cycle in the Ring of Dara, the transportation of waste from different cities to one point and the capacity of the existing infrastructure, have been on the table for many years. The evaluation of Karaj Municipality's performance, the result of separation and recycling programs and monitoring of contractors should be followed by official data and reports that can be verified.

Javad Chapardar, the head of the legal commission of the Islamic Council of Karaj city, in a conversation with Ambassador Arjan, says about the necessity of reforming waste policies.

He wants to review the concentration of the depot centers, strengthen the separation from the source, review the contractors' records and follow up on the regulatory notices. Chaperdar also says that the waste production per capita in Karaj and Alborz, the status of infectious, industrial and construction waste and the response of the responsible bodies to the warnings and documents provided should be clarified.

In the continuation of our conversation with Javad Chapardar, the head of the legal commission of the Islamic Council of Karaj, you will read:

What is the biggest waste challenge in Alborz?

One of the main issues is that a large amount of waste is collected in one center and an important part of the province's waste management is tied to the Ring Valley.

Estimates say that Alborz produces about 1,700 tons of garbage daily, and Karaj's share is more than 700 tons. But these figures cannot be definitively published; The official statistics, the base population and the type of calculated waste should be obtained from the responsible authorities.

It is not just about the weight of waste. How it is collected, how it is transported, where it is processed and recycled and finally how it is buried is also important. When most of these steps are concentrated in one area, infrastructure capacity, transportation cost, and environmental consequences must be continuously weighed.

Why do you consider the concentration in the valley to be a structural issue?

The structure of waste management should be coordinated with the population, the development of the city and the change of residential areas. The decisions made in the past and according to the conditions of that day, are not necessarily the answer to today's needs. As the cities grow and the waste becomes more, it is necessary to see if this structure is still efficient or if the activities should be distributed in a more logical way.

Can Karaj Municipality handle this issue alone?

In a city like Karaj, especially when garbage from other cities also reaches it and the issue goes beyond the city border, work cannot proceed without the coordination of various agencies. The municipality has certain executive responsibilities, but the placement of centers, compliance with environmental requirements and coordination between cities should be checked with the participation of relevant institutions.

What do you suggest to reduce the burden of the valley?

The possibility of building or strengthening regional waste management centers should be investigated so that the waste of different regions does not have to go to one place. Suggestions have been made about the capacity of the eastern and western regions of the province and places like Nazarabad.

However, the selection of each location should be based on technical, environmental, demographic and economic studies and after reviewing legal criteria.

What criteria should be seen in choosing the location of new centers?

Distance from settlements, water sources, land characteristics, access route, wind direction, processing capacity, possibility of leachate control and compliance with environmental regulations are important criteria. Localization should not be tied only to access to land or lower transportation costs; Its long-term effect on people's health and the environment should also be measured.

What is the problem of being far away from the source of waste?

The longer the distance, the higher the cost of transportation and the need to monitor the vehicles. In this situation, it is necessary to control the fleet, leachate leakage, compliance with sanitary requirements and waste disposal in the authorized place more seriously. For this, we must see the transfer routes, the fleet performance and the actual condition of the depot centers.

Does the activity of the valley definitely threaten the health of the nearby residents?

An accurate answer to this question is not possible without valid environmental and health monitoring data. Water and soil quality, air condition, leachate management, disposal methods and the distance of centers from people's places of residence should be checked.

Residents' concerns and local reports should be taken seriously, but judgments about the level of risk should be based on expert evidence and official information.

Some say that the valley was located at the time of construction according to the standards of the same period. your opinion

The conditions of the time of construction and the conditions of that day should be considered. But even if the initial placement was correct based on the criteria of the time, that does not mean that there is no need to re-evaluate. The expansion of settlements, the change of environmental conditions and the growth of the volume of waste may necessitate a review of the center's operation method and its compliance with today's standards.

If the waste entering the valley is reduced, will the problem be solved?

Reducing input is important, but not enough. Source separation, recycling, organic waste processing, leachate management, modification of final disposal methods and supervision of contractors must proceed simultaneously. If only the volume of input is reduced and the quality of processing and disposal remains the same, an important part of the problems will remain in place.

What is the position of waste separation from the source in these reforms?

Separation from the source is one of the main pillars of basic waste management. When dry and wet are properly separated from the beginning, it is possible to recycle more and the amount of waste that goes to the landfill is reduced.

This goal will not be achieved without continuous education of citizens, separate collection infrastructure and monitoring of contractors.

Why do segregation programs and recycling homes not always work?

In order to judge, it is necessary to know how much waste is separated at the source, what volume reaches the recycling centers and finally how much of the collected materials can be used again.

Having a recycling house or running an awareness campaign alone is not a sign of success. Actual performance should be measured with numerical indicators and verifiable reports.

Can compost solve a large part of the problem?

Organic waste processing and compost production can reduce the volume of landfill waste. But its effectiveness depends on the composition of the waste, the quality of separation, the capacity of the facilities and the possibility of consuming the final product.

If organic matter is mixed with inappropriate waste, the quality of compost will decrease. So the development of this method should be accompanied by a technical and economic study and a clear plan for using the product.

Where are garbage incineration and burial?

One method cannot be prescribed for all types of waste. First, the amount of production, the composition of waste and the capacity of recycling and processing must be determined. Garbage incinerator also needs appropriate technology, pollutant control, operating cost and compliance with environmental regulations. Finally, that part of the waste that is neither recycled nor processed must be disposed of in a sanitary and supervised manner.

What indicators should be seen to measure the performance of Karaj Municipality?

The performance of the municipality should not be measured only by daily garbage collection. The amount of separation from the source, the share of recycled waste, the volume sent to the landfill, the condition of the leachate, the cost of collection and transfer, the quality of the contractors' services, and compliance with health and environmental requirements are important indicators. It should also be clarified how much of the approved programs have been implemented and what the results have been in practice.