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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