India generates 62 million metric tonnes of waste every year. However, only 70% of this waste is collected, of which only 27% is treated, while the rest ends up in landfills. As per a report by Swachh Bharat Mission, municipal areas in India generate over 1.45 lakh metric tonnes of solid waste daily, of which around 72% go to landfill sites without any treatment. As per a 2017 study, it was reported that the quantity of municipal solid waste generated will increase at a rate of 5% per year. This means that the quantity of waste generated may reach up to 164 million metric tonnes and 436 million metric tonnes by 2030 and 2050, respectively.

Considering the current waste management practices of the country, where a significant share is dumped in landfills without treatment, a landfill site as large as 88 square kilometers, which is almost the size of Vellore city (Tamil Nadu) will be needed for waste disposal. As per recent estimates, about 12.5 square kilometres of land is lost to dispose of municipal waste every year in India, and currently, 100 square kilometres of urban land is covered under 3,159 legacy waste dumpsites in the country.

Waste management rules

Until 2000, India did not have any policy that focused on municipal waste management. Before that, the theme was loosely covered under management and handling rules for Hazardous wastes and Biomedical wastes. A petition by Almitra Patel led to the notification of the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, which provided a uniform framework for the urban local bodies to manage the municipal waste. These rules were applicable to every municipal body responsible for “the collection, segregation, storage, transportation, processing, and disposal of municipal solid wastes'' and fixed certain responsibilities for local and state governments for infrastructure development, monitoring, and compliance with rules.

However, these rules followed a centralized approach as they did not emphasize much on multi-stakeholder participation and even excluded some of the waste, like dairy waste. These rules were revised 16 years later, in 2016, as the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules. The revised rules mandated the source segregation of waste and expanded the area of application of the rules to areas beyond municipal areas. As per the new rules, the waste generator must segregate the waste into three streams: Biodegradables, Dry waste, and Domestic Hazardous waste before handing it over to the collector. The rules also made event organisers, hotels, restaurants, and other institutional organisers responsible for managing waste in partnership with local bodies by managing and sorting the waste at source.

According to the rules, waste-pickers and recyclers must be included in the waste collection system. Resident welfare associations, market associations, and gated communities that cover an area of over 5,000 square meters are required to hand over the recyclable materials to them. The rules also mandate the local bodies to establish waste processing facilities within two years of notification, as well as to carry out bioremediation of old dumpsites within five years.

Role of Local Bodies

Urban Local Bodies (ULB) are responsible for municipal solid waste management in urban areas as per the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act. The SWM 2016 rules further empower them to create city-specific plans for multistakeholder participation in waste segregation, collection, and disposal. ULBs must prepare a solid waste management plan, facilitate construction, and maintain solid waste processing facilities. They also raise public awareness through communication campaigns.

Challenges

Even though the 2016 rules stress the integration of all stakeholders for decentralized waste management, they need more effective implementation. Experts believe that the major roadblock to effectively implementing the rules is the waste generator's failure to segregate waste at the source. The majority of the cities have been unable to achieve 100% waste segregation at source and have still not come up with a waste management plan. For example, in Gurugram, only 36% of households were segregating waste at source even after the municipal corporation launched a plan to collect only the segregated waste in November 2021. As per CPCB’s annual report on the Implementation of Solid Waste Management rules 2016, Tripura is the only state where action plans have been submitted by all 20 ULBs. Another challenge is the insufficiency of capacity building of waste collectors to collect segregated waste. In 2019, residents of Gurugram raised concerns over the mixing of segregated waste by the waste collectors at the waste transfer stations.

The Way Forward: Involving and Empowering the Communities

Alappuzha’s Decentralized Waste Management System: The Alappuzha Municipality has created a decentralized waste management system where waste is treated at the source of production. This system involves the segregation of waste into biodegradable and non-biodegradable, followed by ‘aerobic composting’ of biodegradable waste. The local body has offered bio-bins and pipe-compost to the residents at subsidized rates to practice composting at home. Apart from this, the municipality has also established 30 aerobic composting units at public places that can be used at the neighbourhood level. Similarly, material collection facilities have been established for non-biodegradable waste. Unique and cost effective, the city’s waste management system serves as a model for other cities and has been recognised by UNEP for its waste management practices. It was also awarded as the winner of the Indian Swachhta League in the 1-3 lakh population category in 2022.

Community Composting in Gurugram: In 2018, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram made the source treatment of wet waste mandatory for bulk waste generators (any commercial or residential organization that generates more than 50 kg of waste a day) in compliance with the SWM rules, which prompted the Resident Welfare Associations in the city to adopt community composting solutions in their campuses. The municipal corporation has played a critical role in promoting these decentralized waste management systems by announcing financial aid for setting up these facilities. Plus, the civic body also has a policy in place to waive off the service charge for dry waste collection from such societies. Currently, 200 bulky waste generators are composting wet waste within their premises.

Integration of Ragpickers in Ambikapur: In Ambikapur, the municipal corporation has integrated ragpickers in their waste collection system. The civic body has established exclusive cafes where ragpickers can exchange collected plastic waste for food. The collected plastic waste is then either recycled or used in road construction. This initiative aims to manage plastic waste as well as provide meals to homeless and shelterless people in the city. The city has also integrated over 400 women from Self Help Group in its door to door waste collection system. The city has been ranked as the cleanest city in the 1-3 lakh population category for eight consecutive years- from 2015 to 2022.

Primary Segregation at Household Level in Panaji and Vengurla: Panaji and Vengurla have adopted waste segregation models for primary segregation at household level. Panaji has adopted a 16-bin model wherein the waste is segregated into 16 prescribed categories. This rigorous segregation helped the city achieve the title of ‘zero landfill city’. Vengurla has adopted a two bin-two bag approach for source segregation into dry and wet waste. As a result, the city successfully processes 100% of the organic waste through vermicomposting and bio-methanation. In addition to this, the city became one of the few cities to convert a landfill into a waste management park in 2017.

The aforementioned cases demonstrate that community participation has a direct effect on effective waste management. To ensure active community participation, the civic bodies are now incorporating digital technology into the waste management system. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) launched a separate WhatsApp number to address citizens' complaints related to garbage in public places on June 5, 2023. By June 21, over 2100 complaints had been recorded.

Citizens’ participation and the integration of private stakeholders form the foundation of an effective waste management system in urban areas. Therefore, educating citizens on source segregation is the way forward in waste management. With innovative ideas for waste segregation coupled with digital technology, civic bodies can reinvent the waste management systems of their cities.

How does your city manage its municipal waste? Does it have a dedicated waste segregation system? Does your city have a waste management plan? Is your city using digital platforms or community participation for managing waste?