India’s rapid urbanisation, rising incomes, and consumption-led growth have caused a sharp rise in waste generation. As per CPCB–TERI estimates, India generates 60–65 million tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) annually, projected to reach 165–170 million tonnes by 2030. However, only 75% is collected and barely 25% processed.
Waste Management – Urbanisation and consumption pattern mismatch:
· Infrastructure Deficit: Most cities rely on open dumping, with dumpsites outnumbering sanitary landfills by nearly 10:1, and limited composting, biomethanation, and recycling facilities.
· Poor Source Segregation: Despite Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, weak segregation at source leads to mixed waste, lowering recycling efficiency and increasing landfill methane emissions.
· Weak Municipal Capacity: Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) face financial stress, manpower shortages, and technical gaps, limiting enforcement and adoption of modern waste-processing technologies.
· Informalisation of Recycling: Over 90% of plastic and e-waste recycling occurs in the informal sector, exposing workers to health risks and reducing material recovery efficiency.
· Hazardous and Emerging Waste Risks: India generates 1.5 million tonnes of e-waste annually and 500–600 tonnes of biomedical waste per day, much of which is mismanaged, especially during emergencies like COVID-19.
Government Initiatives to Address Waste Management:
- Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban & Gramin): Promotes door-to-door collection, source segregation, and scientific disposal.
- Solid Waste, Plastic Waste, E-waste, Battery & Bio-medical Waste Rules: Introduced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and digital traceability.
- Waste-to-Energy (WtE) & GOBAR-Dhan: Convert municipal and organic waste into electricity, biogas, and bio-CNG.
- NAMASTE Scheme: Formalises sanitation and waste workers through skill training, safety gear, and social security.
Way ahead:
- Infrastructure Expansion: Invest in Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), decentralised composting, and region-specific waste-to-energy solutions.
- Enforced Source Segregation: Link segregation compliance to user charges, tax incentives, and penalties.
· Strengthening EPR: Strict enforcement of EPR using digital portals, geotagging, and third-party audits.
· Formalising Informal Sector: Scale up NAMASTE to integrate waste pickers into formal systems with health and social protection.
· Data-Driven Governance: Adopt GIS mapping, waste audits, and real-time monitoring to address underreporting and improve planning.
Conclusion:
Aligning urban growth with sustainable waste systems requires infrastructure investment, behavioural change, regulatory enforcement, and circular economy integration, transforming waste into wealth.
‘+1’ Value Addition:
- India accounts for 20% of global plastic emissions emitting 9.3 million tonnes annually.
- SBM-Urban 2.0 added 1.06 lakh tonnes/day processing capacity across urban India.
- As per the CPCB, Urban waste generation expected to nearly triple between 2016–2030.
- Supreme Court reiterated waste management as a constitutional obligation under Articles 21, 48A, and 51A(g).
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