Urban Waste Management in India: Challenges, Systems, and Solutions
1. Scale of the Problem
- Daily Waste Generation: 145,000 tons (14,500 truckloads)
- Collection & Processing: 79% (115,000 tons/day)
- Untreated Waste: 30,000 tons/day → dumped, burned, or rotting
- Legacy Waste: Millions of tons accumulated in landfills over decades
2. Ideal Waste Management System
Flow of Waste (Ideal):
- Generation (Homes, markets, offices)
- Collection (Door-to-door, segregated)
- Treatment/Recovery (Composting, recycling)
- Disposal (Scientific landfills)
Key Leakage Points (Real-World):
- Uncollected waste
- Mixed waste in trucks
- Overflowing dump sites
- Open burning
- Drain clogging → water pollution
3. Critical Step: Source Segregation
- Mandatory under SWM Rules 2016
- Current Claim: 89% of urban wards practice segregation
- Reality: Superficial or partial in most states
State-wise Performance:
| State | Performance |
|---|---|
| Kerala, Chhattisgarh | Strong (decentralized composting, dry waste centers) |
| West Bengal, Mizoram | Weak (minimal segregation, poor enforcement) |
4. Why Waste Management Fails
A. Weak Governance & Fragmented Accountability
- Understaffed local bodies
- Patchy data, lax monitoring
- Over-reliance on private contractors
B. Inadequate Infrastructure & Funding
- Compost plants idle
- Sorting centers overloaded
- Trucks remix segregated waste
- Only 10% waste composted nationally
C. Exclusion of Informal Workers
- Waste pickers, kabadiwalas handle most recycling
- No safety nets, recognition, or fair wages
- Often displaced by city contracts
5. Environmental and Health Impacts
- Open Burning: Releases 22,000+ tons of pollutants/year (e.g., Mumbai)
- Landfill Fires: Common in metros
- Water Pollution: Clogged drains, plastic in rivers
- Methane Emissions: From rotting organic waste
6. Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban 2.0) – Goals by 2026
- 100% source segregation
- Door-to-door collection
- Scientific management of all waste fractions
- Safe disposal in scientific landfills
7. Key Takeaways
- Waste management is a systemic issue with leaks at every stage
- Source segregation is the most critical yet most neglected step
- Informal workers are essential but unrecognized
- Data transparency and local governance are key to improvement
- Citizen awareness and participation must complement policy efforts
Exam Tip
Focus on the systemic nature of waste management—highlight the gaps in governance, infrastructure, and social inclusion. Emphasize the importance of source segregation and the role of informal workers. Use data (e.g., 30,000 tons untreated daily) to illustrate scale, and reference Swachh Bharat Mission goals to show policy response. Always link waste management to broader environmental and health impacts.
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