The document discusses waste management practices in India. It notes that India generates around 10-12 million tons of waste annually, which is mostly inert and non-biodegradable. The typical waste management system involves collection, transportation, segregation, treatment and disposal. However, open dumping is common practice and adversely impacts the environment and public health. It also outlines the various waste types (municipal, hazardous, biomedical, electronic), relevant laws and policies, and challenges around lack of awareness, collection/segregation issues. Improved government policies, more sustainable industry practices, and increased public participation are suggested to address the growing waste problem.

1. Waste Management
Introduction:
Waste (also known as rubbish, trash, refuse, garbage, junk, and litter) is unwanted or useless
materials, which has lost its value to its owner or does not impose any economic value. Waste is
linked to people development. Litter refers to waste disposed of improperly.
There are many waste types defined by modern systems of waste management, notably
including:
Municipal Waste includes Household waste, Commercial waste, and Demolition waste
Hazardous Waste includes Industrial waste
Bio-medical Waste includes Clinical waste
Special Hazardous waste includes Radioactive waste, explosives waste, and Electronic
waste (e-waste)
According to a report about 10-12 million tons of waste is generated annually, in India, which is
heavy and has high density, covering the land and it also consist mostly of inert and non-
biodegradable material.
Overview:
In India the biodegradable portion dominates the bulk of Municipal Solid Waste. Generally the
biodegradable portion is mainly due to food and yard waste

2. Compostion of Solid waste
Food & Garden Waste
Paper
Inert
Textiles
Glass & Ceramic
Plastics/Rubber
Waste management cycle involves collection, transportation, segregation, treatment and disposal
of organic, recyclable and inert waste. It can also be used to fill the land-site, incineration,
recycling and composting.
Collectio
n
Recyclab
le and Transpo
Inert rtation
waste Waste
Management
Disposal
s of Cycle Segregat
organic ion
Treatme
nt
Picking up waste from residential and industrial area and dumping it to at landfill sites in open
mostly understood as waste management. Currently no such waste management policy is been
adopted in India.

3. Waste collection is usually done on a contract basis. In most cities it is done by rag pickers, small
time contractors and municipalities.
Municipal Solid Waste Management Practices in India
The term municipal solid waste refers to solid waste from houses, streets and public places,
shops, offices, and hospitals. Management of these types of waste is most often the responsibility
of Municipal or other Governmental authorities. Except in the metropolitan cities, SWM is the
responsibility of a health officer who is assisted by the engineering department in the
transportation work. The activity is mostly labour intensive, and 2-3 workers are provided per
1000 residents served. The municipal agencies spend 5-25% of their budget on SWM
A typical waste management system in a low- or middle-income country like India includes the
following elements:
Waste generation and storage
Segregation, reuse, and recycling at the household level
Primary waste collection and transport to a transfer station or community bin
Street sweeping and cleansing of public places
Management of the transfer station or community bin
Secondary collection and transport to the waste disposal site
Waste disposal in landfills
But in most of the Indian cities open dumping is the Common Practices which is adversely
affecting on environment and Public health.
Effect of Open Dump
An open dumping is defined as a land disposal site at which solid wastes are disposed of in a
manner that does not protect the environment, are susceptible to open burning, and are exposed
to the elements, vectors, and scavengers.
Open dumping can include solid waste disposal facilities or practices that pose a reasonable
probability of adverse effects on health or the environment.
Health Effect
Air Pollution
Water Pollution
Soil Contamination
Global Warming and Climate Change
Legal Framework (Law/ Policies regarding waste) in India
Municipal Waste (Non-Hazardous Material)
Municipal Solid Waste Rule 20—

4. Applicable to all municipal authorities responsible for collection, segregation, storage,
transportation processing and disposal of municipal solid wastes Industrial
Waste (Hazardous)
Hazardous & Toxic Waste Handling Rule of 20—Act
Rules apply to handling of hazardous wastes, it mandatory for occupier and the operator of a
facility for proper collection, reception, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous wastes.
Biomedical Waste
Bio-medical Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 19—
It applies to every occupier of an institution generating bio-medical waste which includes a
hospital, nursing home, clinic, dispensary, veterinary institution, animal house, pathological
laboratory, blood bank
Electronic Waste
No separate legislation/policy for e-waste E-waste management is governed by following
environmental legislations:
– Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 20--
– Hazardous Wastes(Management and Handling) Rules, 20--
– Draft Hazardous Materials Rules, 20—
– Public Liability Act, 19—
– Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, 20--
Municipal Solid Waste (Managment & Handling ) Rule was notified by the Ministry of
Environment and Forest, Govt. of India [vide No.S.O.908 (B) dated the 25th September 2000].
The objective of these Rules was to make every municipal authority responsible for the
implementation of the various provisions of the Rules within its territorial area and also to
develop an effective infrastructure for collection, storage, segregation, transportation, processing
and disposal of Municipal Solid Wastes. The Civic bodies have the responsibility to enforce
these rules.
The major functions of civic body include
Prohibiting littering of street
Organizing house to house waste collection.
Conducting awareness programs to disseminate information to public.
Providing adequate community storage facilities.
Use of colour code bins and promotion of waste segregation.
Transport of wastes in covered vehicles.
Processing of wastes by adopting an appropriate combination of composting, anaerobic
digestion, Pellatisation etc.

5. Upgradation of the existing dump sites and Disposal of inert wastes in sanitary landfills.
As per the Rules, the citizens are responsible for
Segregation of wastes at source.
Avoid littering of streets.
Delivery of wastes in accordance with the delivery system notified by the respective
Civic body.
Issues and Challenges
Lack of Awareness
Lack of collection and segregation at source
India becoming ground for waste
Scarcity of land
Solutions:
Government
Government should come up with such effective policy and implement it
Avoid or use paper in limit as major share of percent paper is used in govt.
organization.
Industries
Should make such products that can easily be recycle or reuse
Such Plastics Material should be produce which is bio-degradable. Most plastics takes
200-400 years to degrade or use degrade-able plastics
People
Kitchen and housing waste can be recycle
Incineration and burial of garbage in graveyard
Hospitals
Store securely of clinical waste
Toxic and chemicals should be managed properly

6. Conclusion:
With the increase in population, usage of every item is increasing and where the resources are
diminishing waste material is increasing day by day, but the problem is that no policy has been
taken, yet, and even this waste is not been managed properly resulting various adverse effect on
society, which can easily be seen. To make earth the better place to live in future, we must take
charge and take some effective initiative on ground level, today.