Waste Management

Thirty-year-old Yallamma Shankar migrated to Bengaluru from Koppal district in northern Karnataka 14 years ago. She settled in Sumannahalli, in the western part of the city, and took up free-roaming waste work to make ends meet. Initially, she was glad to work outdoors in a city known for its good weather. Every day, she left her home at 5 am and worked till 2 pm, walking up to 10 kilometres a day to collect waste. “But in the last decade, summers have become unbearable. I feel giddy, dehydrated, and often lose three days of work each month because I fall…

In January 2025, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reclassified Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plants under a newly introduced 'blue' category of industries. This change, framed as part of “essential environmental services,” signals a significant policy shift, one that many experts fear could normalise a polluting technology under the garb of progressive waste management. At first glance, the revised classification system seems technical and benign. But behind the bureaucratic language lies a fundamental question: how can an industry once categorised as 'red', the most hazardous tier, suddenly become 'blue', a category reserved for supposedly cleaner, essential services? What does the classification system…

India is running out of landfill space, and governments across cities are increasingly pushing Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plants as the solution. On paper, these plants promise a win-win: burning non-recyclable waste to produce electricity, while reducing the burden on overflowing dumpsites. But the ground reality tells a different story. WtE plants in India face five big problems: They are inefficient because waste in Indian cities is low-calorie and poorly segregated, WtE plants pose serious health and environmental hazards, They are financially unviable WtE systems undermine recycling efforts They do not support a circular economy and threaten the livelihoods of waste pickers.…

Residents of North Chennai have been vehemently opposing the Greater Chennai Corporation’s (GCC) proposed Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant set to come up in Kodungaiyur. Over the past few months, they have made several representations to GCC officials and Mayor Priya Rajan, and even organised a human chain protest. During their research into the dangers of WTE plants, the group found that these facilities release pollutants including sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), hydrogen chloride (HCl), heavy metals, dioxins, and furans — contaminating the air, water, and soil. Waste incineration, in particular, contributes significantly to elevated PM2.5…

Indian cities are growing, so are their waste problems. As landfills overflow and garbage blackspots spread, governments suggest waste-to-energy (WTE) plants as a solution. However, incinerators face strong opposition due to their health and environmental impact. So, how do we manage waste sustainably? Reducing waste at source, improving segregation, and promoting local composting can make a significant impact, believes Sumana Narayanan, Deputy Director for Programs at Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, an organisation fighting waste pollution. An ecologist and environmental researcher, Sumana is an expert in advocacy, sustainable transport, solid waste management, and policy. In an interview with Citizen Matters,…

As Chennai moves rapidly towards privatising its waste management, serious questions are emerging, not only about the impact on workers, but also on the city’s finances and transparency. In the first part of this series, we saw how privatisation of waste management affects the workers. In this second part of our series, we investigate whether privatisation truly makes economic sense for the city. Today, 13 of Chennai’s 15 zones are managed by private companies, including Ramky Group and Urbaser-Sumeet. But a closer look reveals troubling gaps in accountability. Read more: Status check: Key concerns remain as Chennai moves ahead with…

Living near the waste processing unit in Lingadheeranahalli has turned daily life into a struggle for residents. Many have been grappling with health issues. “Asthma cases are rising among the elderly and young children. My mother, who has heart issues and stents, finds it hard to breathe when the stench intensifies. Even basic routines like eating have become unbearable,” shares Ravi N K, a resident whose home is less than a kilometre from the facility. Located in Banashankari, in the southern part of Bengaluru, the waste processing facility is one of seven such units across the city. Over the years,…

At Bengaluru’s first Dry Waste Collection Centre (DWCC) in Domlur, heaps of waste in segregated piles dominate the landscape. Drivers of collection vehicles and waste pickers work through the piles, segregating waste in challenging conditions. These centres were established to promote decentralised waste management and improve the livelihood of waste workers. Yet, a decade later, waste pickers continue to struggle without formal employment status, volatile resale prices for recyclable waste, a shortage of quality waste and fragile job security. Workers at the Domlur DWCC come from various backgrounds. For some, waste picking is a generational occupation — A Krishna, the…

In August this year, over 2,000 sanitation workers from Central and North Chennai staged a peaceful protest against the Greater Chennai Corporation's (GCC) decision to privatise waste management services in Zones 5 and 6. Their demonstration was met with force and allegations of police brutality, just one day before Independence Day. Sanitary workers protest against the privatisation of waste management in zones 5 and 6 in Chennai. Pic courtesy: Sakthivel/Vyasai Thozhargal Over the years, GCC has outsourced solid waste management to private firms in 13 out of its 15 zones. The latest was in June this year, which approved the…

Every day, India throws away enough plastic to fill 65 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Around 60% of this comes from the packaging industry—chip packets, bottles, polythene covers, and multi-layered wrappers. Managing this mountain of waste is a challenge, and the government hopes to address it with the Draft Plastic Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules, 2025. You can read the amendment notification here. The changes mostly address Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Simply put, it makes companies—manufacturers, brand owners, and importers—accountable for collecting and recycling the plastic they generate. The new rules also set targets for including recycled plastic in packaging: from 30%…