75% of municipal waste in India dumped without processing

Barely 35,600 metric tonnes (MT) or a quarter of the 1.43 lakh MT of garbage generated daily in Indian cities gets processed. The remaining three-quarters about 1.1 lakh MT are dumped in the open. Only eight of 35 states process more than half the daily garbage generated in their cities and not one has achieved 100% processing.

State-wise data on the website of the urban affairs ministry shows that states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand don’t process even 10% of their municipal garbage while Arunachal Pradesh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli don’t process municipal garbage at all. J&K processes a mere 1%.

Chhattisgarh (74%) tops the list and is one of only four states that process more than 60% of municipal garbage. Telangana (67%), Sikkim (66%) and Goa (62%) are the others in this category. Delhi processes 55% of its daily garbage. There are 84,000 municipal wards in India and 61,846 or almost three-quarters of these wards have achieved 100% door-to-door garbage collection, according to the website. Yet, without proper disposal facilities this makes little difference.

Civic bodies in Maha generate most garbage

Municipal bodies in Maharashtra generate maximum garbage — 22,570 MT daily — followed by Tamil Nadu (15,437 MT), Uttar Pradesh (15,288 MT), Delhi (10,500 MT), Gujarat (10,145 MT) and Karnataka (10,000 MT).

Municipal bodies are dumping waste on to landfill sites, which are overflowing their capacity and polluting the surrounding land, groundwater and air. According to the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), cities are now running out of land on which to dump their waste and have begun throwing it in the ‘backyards’ of smaller towns, suburbs and villages.

CSE has advocated a waste management strategy that emphasises segregation at source and recycle and reuse, instead of centralised approaches like landfills. Solid waste management should move towards behaviour change and local solutions, without which the ‘clean India’ goal cannot be met, according to the CSE.

Source: Times of India:30/07/2018

Sociological Bulletin: Table of Contents

Articles

Rethinking Urban Studies Today Sujata Patel First Published February 13, 2018; pp. 1–19 Abstract Preview |  |

Between Ethnography and Mission in India: The Anthropology of Stephen Fuchs Bernd Pflug First Published February 19, 2018; pp. 20–34 Abstract Preview |  |

Mechanism-based Explanations versus Autonomy in the Social Sciences Ståle Gundersen First Published February 14, 2018; pp. 35–50 Abstract Preview |  |

Examining Ethnicity: The Context of Mizos in Bengaluru D. V. Kumar First Published February 5, 2018; pp. 51–66 Abstract Preview |  |

Converging Precincts: Sociology and Sherlock Holmes Ketaki Dwivedi First Published February 13, 2018; pp. 67–83 Abstract Preview |  |

Social Movements– Judicial Activism Nexus and Neoliberal Transformation in India: Revisiting Save Chilika Movement Lalatendu Keshari Das First Published March 5, 2018; pp. 84–102 Abstract Preview |  |

Review Articles

Urban Development and Urbanisation in the Two Frontier Regions of India Ranvinder S. Sandhu First Published March 19, 2018; pp. 103–109 Abstract Preview |  |

Women and Struggle for Equality Neerja Ahlawat First Published March 19, 2018; pp. 110–119 Abstract Preview |  |

Book Reviews

Book Review: Krupa Shandilya, Intimate Relations: Social Reform and the Late Nineteenth-century South Asian Novel Ahonaa Roy First Published March 19, 2018; pp. 120–122 Abstract Preview |  |

Book Review: Debarati Halder and K. Jaishankar, Cyber Crimes against Women in India Sudarshana Sen First Published March 19, 2018; pp. 122–123 Abstract Preview |  |

Book Review: P. S. Vivek. World of Garbage and Waste: Understanding of Swatchh Bharat and Sabka Vikas in India B. K. Nagla First Published March 19, 2018; pp. 123–126 Abstract Preview |  |

Book Review: Roma Chatterji (ed.). Wording the World: Veena Das and Scenes of Inheritance Manish K. Thakur First Published March 19, 2018; pp. 126–128 Abstract Preview |  |

Book Review: Rahul Ramagundam. Including the Socially Excluded: India’s Experience with Caste, Gender and Poverty Vinod Arya First Published March 19, 2018; pp. 128–130 Abstract Preview |  |

Book Review: Pranab Kumar Das (ed.). Decentralisation, Governance and Development Sumedha Dutta First Published March 19, 2018; pp. 130–132 Abstract Preview |  |

Book Review: Varsha Bhagat Ganguly. Protest Movements and Citizens’ Rights in Gujarat (1970–2010) Satyakam Joshi First Published March 19, 2018; pp. 133–135 Abstract Preview |  |

Book Review: Steve Derne, Sociology of Well Being: Lessons from India Sipra Sagarika First Published March 19, 2018; pp. 135–137 Abstract Preview |  |

Book Review: Meenaz Kassam, Femida Handy and Emily Jansons, Philanthropy in India: Promise to Practice Aditya Raj First Published March 19, 2018; pp. 137–139 Abstract Preview |  |

Book Review: Gayatri Bhattacharyya. The First Indian Social Theorist: Ideas of Bhudev Chandra Mukhopadhyay P. S. Vivek First Published March 19, 2018; pp. 139–140 Abstract Preview |  |