Sustainable Solid Waste Management

by Urvashi Dhamija

Fast public transport, fancy shopping malls, fusion food joints... Delhi has them all. But, what about a disposal system for its filth ? 7000 tonnes of garbage gets generated every day !

There is much media coverage about workshops for awareness building among citizen groups, designer bins in lieu of dhalaos and hi-tech self-loading systems for periodically heaving the containers for final dumping under expert foreign supervision. The reality, however, is that waste in public places is becoming even more conspicuous every day. In this study, the incorrigible problem of invisibilising a city's waste in a safe manner has been demystified.

This case study discusses the need for improvement in the disposal of nonhazardous solid waste in Delhi, focusing on the need for policy, institutional, and governance reforms. The difficulties, including the coordination of the municipality and central government authorities, are investigated, and steps are suggested for making the process more participatory and technically sound through innovations elsewhere in the country and abroad, particularly from neighboring countries.

About the Author:

Urvashi Dhamija is a professor of political science at the University of Delhi.