Waste Management | Citizen Matters

COVID-19 aftermath: Delhi’s ignored waste pickers need immediate protection

September 3, 2020 Avi Majithia and Malavika Narayan

Informal waste pickers in Delhi protect the city’s environment and public health. Today, as they face a dire situation in the aftermath of the pandemic, here’s what the government must do for them.

Opinion: Let’s not allow corona to defeat the fight to reduce plastic

August 23, 2020 Swati Singh Sambyal

As India and the world battle the pandemic, managing our plastic waste properly has become crucial, now more then ever.

How Gurugram is managing biomedical waste from residential communities in the time of COVID-19

June 26, 2020 Monika Khanna Gulati

Despite the guidelines from CPCB, management of biomedical waste is proving to be tough on the ground at several levels. Some suggestions for Gurugram

Banks of another kind: These help Dehradun manage its plastic waste efficiently

June 11, 2020 Anoop Nautiyal

11 plastic banks set up in the city by the Indian Institute of Petroleum and SDC Foundation have collected and sent more than 1800 kg of plastic waste for recycling till date.

How Trichy’s daily wager sanitation workers found support during the COVID lockdown

June 3, 2020 S Senthalir

The Tiruchirapalli chapter of an urban sanitation support programme has stepped up to secure the health and livelihoods of sanitation workers and caretakers managing community and public toilets in the city.

How Swacchata ‘didis’, ward committees and local volunteers in small towns are showing the way to waste management during COVID-19

May 6, 2020 Swati Singh Sambyal

Decentralisation is the most effective way to manage waste, even in a health crisis such as the present. Towns like Panchgani and Ambikapur are setting examples for all.

Where should the waste from quarantine centres and COVID isolation wards go?

April 25, 2020 Ananya Tewari

Management of biomedical waste during COVID-19 pandemic plays a critical role in overall public health protection and health care workers’ safety. Here’s what the Central Pollution Control Board recommends.

Kolkata plans its first biomining project at Mollar Bheri landfill on eastern wetland

January 21, 2020 Mou Chakraborty

The Rs 21-crore project will be implemented in 55 acres of land near Mollar Bheri, a shallow fishery located in the East Kolkata Wetlands, that has seen a 12-feet-high mountain of waste build up over the years.

Bulk of Dehradun’s e-waste ends up with unauthorised recyclers; here’s why

December 13, 2019 Rishabh Shrivastava

A majority of citizens and traders dealing in electronic items have never heard of e-waste management rules or extended producer responsibility. Where does the city’s large quantum of electronic waste go then?

Garbage to gold: Shillong women’s group shows the way

November 15, 2019 Linda Chhakchhuak

Ambitious, big-money plans remain on paper, but a women’s self help group comprised of waste pickers-turned-recyclers could help the hill station solve its ugly waste crisis.

50000 workers face serious health risks in illegal e-waste processing units in Delhi

November 11, 2019 Amita Bhaduri

A study identified 15 e-waste processing hotspots in Delhi, housing 5000 units that operate without any safeguards for its employees, who are exposed to chemical or metallic dusts, vapour and acidic effluents.

Waste woes in Paradise: Srinagar’s struggle to clear garbage from streets during lockdown

November 7, 2019 Abid Bashir Wani

In the days following abrogation of Article 370, Srinagar became a stinking mess, as municipal staff were unable to report to work and mounds of garbage accumulated on streets. While proactive officers and safai karamcharis have managed to tide over the crisis in the face of odds, waste management in the city needs serious fixes for the long term.

How 5000 school kids in Dehradun helped put 550 kilos of plastic waste where it belongs

October 25, 2019 Rishabh Shrivastava

Dehradun Smart City Limited’s innovative and community-centric initiative titled “Plastic Wapsi Abhiyaan” involved almost 20 government schools, engaging more than 5000 students and 100 teachers. Here’s how they did it.

How a small Himalayan town panchayat is showing Shimla the way to effective waste management

October 22, 2019 Ashwani Sharma

Aima panchayat, an urban-rural agglomeration near Palampur, has its own modern garbage treatment park, with the facility to handle all kinds of waste, including plastic. Inspired by it, Shimla has now set up its own waste-to-energy plant, expected to help the capital in sustainable waste management.

As Kolkata begins Durga Puja festivities on Mahalaya, environment gets a raw deal

September 28, 2019 Mou Chakraborty

2500 plus community pujas. Lakhs of revellers. The Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata are magical, but harsh and unforgiving on the environment. Unfortunately, thoughts and plans on greening the celebrations appear to be at a very immature stage still.