{"id":3523,"date":"2023-03-28T07:45:31","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T07:45:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.neufin.co\/?p=3523"},"modified":"2024-01-22T20:25:07","modified_gmt":"2024-01-22T14:55:07","slug":"decoding-waste-management-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neufin.co\/blog\/decoding-waste-management-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Decoding Waste Management in India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There\u2019s a widespread recognition of the idea that managing waste properly is essential for building sustainable and livable cities, yet waste management remains a challenge for many developing countries. Effective waste management is expensive, often comprising 20%\u201350% of municipal budgets<\/a>. The consensus to resolve this issue only grows considering the implications that waste has on the environment – the sector accounts for approximately 4%<\/a> of India\u2019s total GHG emissions. Whilst the aggregate contribution may be insignificant when compared to other emission intensive sectors such as land use or steel manufacturing, waste sector emissions have risen at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2% during 2005-2018<\/a>. In the past decade, India\u2019s outlook towards garbage has sharply evolved, both in policy and in practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

India\u2019s waste management problem is riddled with complexities and continues to grow with rapid economic development and population expansion. Although India does relatively well on maintaining low per capita municipal solid waste (MSW) at 0.39kg\/person<\/a> compared to the global average of 0.74 kg per person<\/a>, globally it is among the largest producers of waste in absolute terms. India currently <\/a>generates<\/a> 62 million tons of waste every year (including recyclable and non\u2013recyclable waste). Of the 1.45 lakh tons of MSW generated per day, only 23% is being processed or treated, while the 72% is sent to landfills. Though waste generation in itself is a problem that demands attention, the lack of a sophisticated waste management system that methodically addresses segregation and treatment of waste is the crux of the issue. Through the lens of environmental justice, poor waste management comes at a social cost – waste often creates a vicious cycle of poor environment, ill health, and poor finances. Those residing in neighbourhoods close to landfills are at a higher risk of health concerns as toxins seep into water sources and the sites become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and flies – leaving residents vulnerable to catching diseases. Fumes from the dumps lead to respiratory ailments as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Types of waste<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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1. Municipal solid waste:<\/strong> Commonly known as garbage or trash, municipal solid waste (MSW) is an umbrella term used for various kinds of waste material including organic wastes such as paper, cardboard, food, yard trimmings, and plastics, and inorganic wastes such as metal and glass. Municipal waste includes waste generated in a dry or wet form by way of domestic and commercial use in municipalities or notified areas. It excludes industrial hazardous wastes but includes treated bio-medical wastes. According to a report<\/a> published by the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), urban India generates 1.45 lakh tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) every day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

MSW thus refers to various types of waste, including plastic waste, electronic waste (e-waste), biomedical waste, construction and demolition waste, and hazardous waste. The image below illustrates the types of materials that constitute different kinds of MSW and their subsequent treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Segregation
Figure 1: Segregation for MSW management<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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2. Municipal liquid waste: <\/strong>Water that has been used once and is no longer fit for human consumption or any other use, is considered to be liquid waste. Wastewater can be categorised as industrial and domestic – industrial wastewater is generated by manufacturing processes and is difficult to treat. Domestic wastewater includes water discharged from homes, commercial complexes, hotels, and educational institutions. A byproduct treated wastewater is municipal sludge (a type of MSW), which in India is currently being treated in an unscientific manner without adequate regulatory standards. This leads to indiscriminate sludge disposal on land and in water bodies. Information around liquid waste is largely unavailable in the public domain and the policy apparatus is in a nascent phase – for this reason the article largely focuses on solid waste management in India. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is important to note that waste management is viewed as a primarily urban issue in India due to the high density of waste generation in urban regions. Additionally, given that rural areas lack the requisite waste management and disposal systems, the scope to estimate the volume of waste generated and resulting emissions is limited. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Flow
Figure 2: Flow of MSW in India<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

How does India manage its Municipal Solid Waste?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In India, waste management falls under the purview of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, however it is the Urban Local Bodies and municipalities that are tasked to formulate and execute regional waste management systems. The ministry itself has built various missions and regulations that create a framework to facilitate a complex value chain which includes waste collection, disposal, dumping, transportation, recycling, and treatment, as well as avoidance and reduction in the volume of waste generated. The Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 guidelines released in 2021 provide a comprehensive framework<\/a> for the flow of MSW management. The solid waste management system demands a stepwise handling of waste materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The process begins with segregation of waste at the place of its generation under the following categories: <\/p>\n\n\n\n