Need for Policy for Waste Management in India

Need for Policy for Waste Management in India

Main Examination: General Studies Paper-3

(Waste Management)

August 22, 2023

Foreword:

  • India is a developed and highly populated country, which requires more of the meager resources of food and nutrition. Although the food system in the country has improved, but due to waste management, many problems are being created in human health, environment and society. In this situation, there should be a need for a policy for waste management in India.

Waste Management:

  • Waste management is a process aimed at managing waste (waste) in a proper and safe manner. This management process is thought to reduce the environmental, health, and social impacts of waste, as well as enhance the economic well-being of the community.
  • Identifying the right waste collection system is important in waste management.
  • Waste management is a part of industrial policy.
  • Modern sorting facilities produce high quality materials from the segregated waste. Processes are used to separate plastics and sort them by color.
  • Manure and biogas are produced from organic waste in fermentation plants.
  • Waste is treated in Mechanical Biological Treatment facilities (MBT). MBT provides high-calorific fraction for energy production and regulates the decomposition of organic matter, which are mainly responsible for emissions from landfill areas. This leads to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Waste Management in India:

  • India has about 18 percent of the world's population and only 2.4 percent of the land area, but its contribution to global waste generation is 12 percent.
  • There are a total of 3842 local municipal bodies in India. There are 247 municipal corporations, 1500 municipalities, 2100 town panchayats, 56 cantonment boards and 2,63,274 gram panchayats, but very few local bodies have installed 'automatic waste recycling machines' for waste management.
  • Bilateral agreement on water and waste management between India and Germany has been done in 2019. Both sides have joined hands in the textile sector, air, water governance, marine litter, waste-to-energy (incineration), bio-methane, garbage disposal, water quality management, training and capacity building of local bodies. This will definitely help India in waste management.
  • Waste management in India is mainly done by informal workers, most of whom are urban poor. Being informal workers, these people do not get social security.
  • India is now among the top 10 largest solid waste generators due to increasing urbanization and high consumption, according to a new World Watch Institute report. America is at the forefront in generating about 6 lakh 21 thousand tonnes of such waste every day.
  • As per the report, solid waste is estimated to increase to 2.6 billion tonnes globally from the current 1.3 billion tonnes. It states that rich countries are generating more solid waste than developing countries. There are only four developing countries in the list of top ten garbage generating countries – Brazil, China, India and Mexico.
  • India has also launched the 'Waste to Wealth Portal', which aims to identify, develop and deploy technologies to generate energy, recycle materials and treat waste.

Main causes of waste mismanagement:

  • Large population living in cities
  • High consumption lifestyle of urban population

Strong Waste Management System in South Korea

  • South Korea has a strong waste management system, and has been able to break the link between economic growth and waste generation.
  • It is a small country with only 50 million population, but generates around 53 thousand tonnes of solid waste per day, which is five times the per capita production in India.
  • Until the 1980s, Korea, like most other developing countries, managed waste through incineration and landfills.
  • In the 1990s, South Korea implemented a volume-based waste fee system to slow down waste generation. It was a paradigm shift focused on controlling waste generation and achieving maximum rates of recycling. A drastic reduction in solid waste generation was observed after the implementation of this system.
  • Waste generation decreased from 30.6 million metric tons in 1990 to 19.3 million metric tons in 2016.
  • Among the few countries that recycle food waste, South Korea currently ranks second in the world after Germany, with a recycling rate of 60 percent.
  • Projects like 'Landfill Recovery' and Nanjido were run in South Korea. These projects are successfully turning hazardous waste sites into sustainable eco-attractions. In addition to power projects, South Korea focused on waste-to-energy projects to complement its waste management policies.
  • The world's first landfill powered hydrogen plant was built in 2011 in South Korea.

waste management in Germany

  • Waste management started in Germany in 1970, which is still continuing in the first place in the world in waste management. German experts have developed the 'Five Phase Model' (five phases). Its purpose is to help with waste management in an area.

Problems arising from Waste Mismanagement:

  • Health problems: Waste management increases the risk of infection, intestinal diseases and nutritional problems. Problems arise due to impurities in food formulations, leading to the wastage of otherwise eligible foods.
  • Environmental problems: Waste management causes excessive use of resources, such as water, land and energy. The effects of garbage, plastic, etc. generated from waste management also harm the environment.
  • Economic perspective: Waste management leads to wasted food, which causes economic loss. The problems of poverty and hunger in the society arise as a result of this.

Way Forward:

  • The waste of developing countries contains about 40 to 60 percent organic material, which can be recycled. Fertilizer, electricity and fuel can be obtained by proper disposal of waste. In a developing country like India, the most important thing is the sorting of waste. Classification like dry waste, wet waste, bio-degradable waste, non-biodegradable waste, biomedical waste, e-waste must come to common citizens, which can be increased by public awareness.
  • India can tackle its mountains of garbage by implementing the waste management policies and action plans of South Korea and Germany.
  • City planners and municipalities should understand the need for coordination in the waste management system and find ways to do so.
  • Awareness: It is necessary to promote social awareness. People should be educated about the importance of food preservation so that they have knowledge of proper food combination and proper waste management.
  • Waste recycling system: Waste recycling process should be encouraged in an organized manner. So that food related waste can be managed properly.
  • Legal Certificate: Government should issue certificate for provisioning and compliance of strict laws for waste management.
  • Collaborations and Partnerships: Collaborations and partnerships should be promoted between the government, non-governmental organizations and individuals at the individual level.
  • Technological Advancement: Technological advancement should be given to the food preservation system so as to reduce the loss in production, preservation and storage of food items.
  • Also technology driven recycling can be encouraged through R&D at university and school level to promote active participation in waste management, as South Korea and Germany do.

Conclusions:

  • India's economy is growing rapidly, it may face a formidable waste crisis if waste management is not taken up on top priority. So all the stakeholders have to come together to ensure a clean and healthy natural environment for the generations to come.
  • Waste management policy is necessary in India to positively impact the society, environment and economy. It should include good governance, awareness and technological advancement so that the country can develop with a developed and healthy human community.

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Main Exam Question

There is a need for a solid policy for waste management in India. In this context, explain the status of waste management in India and suggest measures to solve it.