Sushmita Sridhar - Mount Carmel College, Bangalore
Introduction
India has been battling an insufficient waste management system for years now. It faces a massive waste management challenge owing to its growing population and rapid development in all spheres.
Our country generates approximately 62 million tonnes of solid waste every year which is approximately 80 % of what South Asia produces and 13 % of the world’s solid waste production. However, only less than 27 % of it gets recycled. The remaining waste thus collected is disposed of in a landfill, untreated, leading to innumerable environmental / humanitarian issues and economic burdens. Global analysts predict that by 2050, India will be generating 3.4 tonnes of garbage annually.
Although due recognition has been given to the importance of constructing an effective waste management system in order to avoid the dire consequences of improper disposal systems, India is lagging behind in adopting innovative measures and strategic execution of the same.
The process of solid waste management is no longer elite knowledge. It begins with waste segregation and every step that follows waste generation intends to create value in waste before reaching its final destination and being disposed of.
