Waste Management

IAS Parliament 6 years

KEY POINTS

Flaws in Waste Management

· Consumers are mostly not part of the Waste Management Chain.

· Rag pickers are working in the informal sector and lack sufficient knowledge and training in handling the waste.

· Lack of segregation of waste at source.

· WHO lists lead exposure as one of the top 10 environmental health threats globally. But India lead content found in paint samples exceeding the prescribed limit.

· With multiple sets of rules and weak capacity for enforcement, it is not surprising that the situation on the ground remains very bleak.

· Some biomedical waste is included in the definition of domestic hazardous waste, but only waste from healthcare establishments is covered under the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules 2016.

· E-waste Management Rules 2016 are applicable to e-waste including computers, printers, TV, fluorescent and other mercury-containing lamps, while lead acid batteries from home inverters and cars come under Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules 2001.

· Improper management of landfills causes emission of methane and help breed mosquitoes and rats which spread many diseases.

Adopting an inclusive approach

· Consumers should participate in the waste management chain and must segregate the wastes at source. The government should provide guidelines for people to segregate the wastes properly. ( Dry, wet and hazardous)

· Workers collecting waste must be formalised and proper skills and knowledge need to be imparted to handle the waste properly. They need to be pushed to the formalised sector.

· Establishment of waste disposal centres needs to be established at appropriate places. Pune model of waste management needs to be implemented across all states.

· States must devolve funds properly to Municipalities to procure needed equipment, protective garments for the workers involved in waste disposal.

· Waste Management rules must be effectively implemented and enforced.