KAP study of solid waste disposal of households in Kuttar & Manjanadi Panchayath covered under gramaskhema programme of K.S. Hegde Medical Academy

An important problem faced by many societies across the world is unhealthy disposal of solid wastes. Knowledge, attitude, practices of people plays a crucial role as their view point is extremely vital in providing solutions to future environmental problems. A cross sectional study was conducted among the households of Kuttar and Manjanadi villages and a sample of 120 households were studied. Majority had a good knowledge about the ill effects of improper solid waste disposal and that 82.5% said collectively that it causes disease, unpleasant odour, unpleasant site and rodent nuisance. Majority of them had a positive attitude towards solid waste disposal and 98.3% felt that improper solid waste removal and disposal effects environment. Regarding household waste disposal practice it was found to be unsatisfactory as 78 households disposed of household wastes by just throwing away outside the house. Strict surveillance, supervision and timely removal for disposal of solid waste by management are the key factors in reducing environmental hazards. Key wordsSolid waste management, knowledge, attitude, practice methods of waste reduction includes manufacturing products with less packaging, encouraging customers to bring their own reusable bags for packaging, encouraging the public to choose reusable products such as cloth napkins andreusable plastic and glass containers, backyard composting and sharing and donating any unwanted items rather than discarding them. There are many environmental benefits that can be derived from the use of these methods. They reduce or prevent green house gas emissions, reduce the release of pollutants, conserve resources, save energy and reduce the demand for waste 3 treatment technology and landfill space . Therefore it is advisable that these methods be adopted and incorporated as part of the waste management plan. With rising urbanization and change in lifestyle and food habits, the amount of municipal solid waste has been increasing rapidly and its composition changing. In 1947 cities and towns in India generated an estimated 6 million tonnes of solid waste; in 1997 it was about 48 4 milliontonnes . More than 25% of the municipal solid Published online: 2020-04-22