India’s Trash Trail: Can The Centre Kickstart A Movement To Address Mounting Waste Crisis?

Take the example of Gurugram, touted as the millennium city with glittering buildings just a few kilomotres away from New Delhi. With rapid expansion and construction work, this area itself produces about 1,200 tonnes per day of construction and demolition (C&D) waste.

While the authorities claim that about 98% of the garbage produced here is being effectively disposed of, anyone living in the area will tell you that the ground reality presents a different picture, with dumps found almost everywhere—not just construction waste but even other materials, including plastics.

With an increase in population and other developmental activities, India’s waste generation is surging. India already ranks third; China and the US are placed above New Delhi in waste generation, has a challenge at hand -- effective waste management. Though the authorities have started taking steps in managing the humongous amount of waste generated daily, the results have not been effective.

Awareness of effective waste management is limited to a section of society. The lack of understanding of this issue can have severe implications.

The Centre is now planning to carve concrete policies that would be able to dispose of the trash without affecting health and the environment.

“However, what is required is a mass movement—only through this can we achieve the desired results,” Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences (Independent Charge), told The Secretariat.

Waste Management In India

A Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report has pointed out that landfill sites in the country are not scientifically maintained. These dumps pose a potential threat to groundwater pollution and are likely to cause deterioration of the ambient air quality.

It also highlighted that bio-medical, slaughterhouse, and other wastes get mixed with domestic waste at dust bins and finally reach landfill sites. 

To begin with, the Centre has initiated a programme in waste management in association with the New Delhi-based All India Institute of Medical Sciences for handling biomedical waste. 

The Minister, who is also serving as MoS, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), added that several pilot projects have been launched across the country to effectively manage solid waste. 

"The AIIMS Delhi project of treating medical waste is a pioneering one. The waste, which needs to be disposed of properly, is now being treated on site, also creating an ash residue that is used for brick making or other uses. The goal is to reduce toxic waste from landfill sites,” Singh said. 

In February this year, the Minister launched India's first indigenous Automated Bio Medical Waste Treatment Plant named “Sṛjanam” at AIIMS, New Delhi.

"Our science and technology institutes are doing tremendous work on developing such technology. The industry needs to approach these institutions to ensure that the innovations made by them are implemented and utilised for the betterment of the environment," Singh said.  

India produces over 170,338 tonnes of solid waste daily. While a chunk of this is being treated and recycled, the government would have to fine-tune policies to handle this rising quantity more effectively and control pollution levels and health hazards.

What Is Sṛjanam

The first-of-its-kind plant, indigenously developed by CSIR NIIST, Thiruvananthapuram, aims to put in place a biomedical waste solution to transform healthcare waste disposal in the country. 

The attempt is to create a paradigm shift from ‘waste to wealth’, with an emphasis on sustainability and environmental concerns. The Minister further explained that improper segregation, open dumping, open burning, and inadequate incineration of biomedical waste lead to severe health hazards, including the release of carcinogens and particulate matter.

He emphasised the need for effective waste management to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance.

“This initiative aligns with the government’s vision of a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047, and with continued progress in innovation and sustainable technologies, India is set to become a global leader in environmental and healthcare solutions,” he said. 

The government feels that the time has now come for the private sector to take over and start integrating these technologies for better management of solid waste. 

Pointing towards another project, Singh said that repurposing used cooking oil is also one such initiative that aims to cut the carbon footprint by creating a biofuel out of the used product. "This will enable us to stop the wastage of oil. Under the plan, a financial incentive of Rs 20 is offered for each litre of used oil. So the homemakers are hooked and made a part of our waste management plan, and instead of disposing of it they are now storing it and handing it over to our collection teams," he said.