INDIAN CITIES have shown remarkable progress in waste management in the past decade. Programmes that have played a key role in this achievement are: Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), a flagship programme initiated in 2014 to eliminate open defecation and improve the sanitation system, and Swachh Survekshan, an assessment tool to ensure sustainability in these development goals by urban local bodies (ULBS). The programmes have shifted the focus of waste management from just "visual cleanliness" to "waste to wealth", yet Indian cities continue to be behind the pollution curve. It is important that the new government relearns the art and science of waste management.
NO FALSE SOLUTION
On the face of it, waste to wealth seems to be a win-win situation for cities drowning in piles of refuse. For instance, biodegradable matter in municipal solid waste can be treated to produce biogas or compost, yet India does not have a single waste-to-energy plant that is financially viable and environmentally sustainable. One reason for this paradox is that cities still use mixed waste as feedstock. Unsegregated waste contains inert and hazardous materials and has low calorific value, which makes the plants polluting and unviable.
Similarly, when unsegregated, the recyclable waste, such as plastic, paper and metal, gets soiled and contaminated by the organic waste. This diminishes its market value. To recover wealth from waste, the government needs to adopt these measures.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
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DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
