Waste Management in India

India is a developing nation in every aspect however we cannot say the same about its waste management system. So let us first understand what is waste management?

Basically waste management constitutes 3 main processes:

Collection of waste
Transportation of waste
Disposal of waste
Waste management process treats solid wastes and offers a variety of solutions for recycling items. It tells us about “how garbage can be used as a valuable resource”. Waste management also ensures that the disposal process is carried out in a safe and efficient manner.

Now let’s talk about India’s waste management system

According to a report from the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), approximately 1.86 billion tons of waste is generated per year around the world and its major contributors are China, United States of America and India.

In India approximately 62 million tons of garbage is thrown out daily, out of which only 18 million tons is treated. These are shocking results for a nation like India. This untreated waste is then disposed by the municipality corporations which then lead to health issues and environmental degradation.

With rapid urbanization, industrialization and population explosion in India, solid waste management will be a key challenge for state governments and local municipal bodies in the 21st century.

“Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi may want a “Swachh Bharat” (clean India) by 2019, but sweeping the streets does not address the enormity of India’s real garbage challenge”

According to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM) predictions, "India will generate 130 million tons of e-waste by 2018 from the current 93.5 million tons in 2016. And by 2020, India is expected to generate 260 million tons of e-waste".

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

Segregation of waste at source is a must so that any useful organic waste is not thrown away.

Follow the policy of 4Rs – Refuse, Reuse, Reduce and Recycle

For different types of solid wastes, different types of treatment practices should be adopted.

Treatment of waste should be done at the closest point, which means it should be done in a decentralized manner.

Instances like “Mumbai’s Deonar landfill Fire”, “collapse of a great wall of garbage in East Delhi’s Ghazipur area” are wake up calls for all of us. We must therefore adopt ways to improve our waste management system as quickly as possible. This will help us contribute to the development of India and reach our targets at the earliest.