Topic 7

Building A Cohesive Air Quality Narrative: Connecting Waste Management And Air Pollution In India

By building a cohesive narrative that links waste management to air quality, India can more effectively tackle the pollution crisis while promoting sustainable waste practices. This document outlines how such a narrative can be crafted, identifies key challenges, and prioritises solutions to reduce waste-related air pollution.

The Overlooked Connection: Waste Management And Air Pollution

The total quantity of solid waste generated in India is 1,70,339 (tonnes per day) TPD. The official data indicates that out of the total waste collected - 50%, undergoes some form of treatment, 18.4% is directed to landfills and 31.7% of the total waste generated remains unaccounted[1]. Improper handling of solid waste results in landfill fires and open burning of waste. Studies suggest that depending on the city, 2% to 24% of the municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in cities gets burned[2]. Without strong policies to promote recycling and upcycling of nonbiodegradable waste, and the conversion of biodegradable waste to biogas, open waste burning is likely to become India's largest source of air pollution by 2035[3]. India generates about 150-500 million tonnes of construction and demolition (C&D) waste every year, and recycles only 1% of it[4]. All this mismanaged waste produces significant dust, fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), toxic gases like methane, and other hazardous pollutants that directly impact air quality and public health.

Despite these clear connections, the contribution of waste to air pollution is often overlooked in both policy discussions and public awareness campaigns. To create a more comprehensive air quality narrative, it is essential to integrate waste management into this discourse, showing how improved waste practices can directly lead to cleaner air.

Crafting A Cohesive Narrative: Key Elements

A strong, cohesive narrative connecting waste management to air pollution requires clear messaging, collaboration among stakeholders, and an emphasis on both policy reform and behavioural change. The following steps are crucial for developing this narrative:

Raising Awareness of the Link Between Waste and Air Pollution: The first priority is to educate the public, policymakers, and industry about the direct relationship between waste mismanagement and air pollution. This can be achieved by communicating how activities like open burning of waste and improper disposal of C&D materials contribute to hazardous air pollution. Data on emissions from these activities should be shared widely, making the case for improved waste management as an air quality solution.
Engaging a Broad Spectrum of Stakeholders: A successful narrative requires the engagement of various stakeholders, including government bodies, municipal authorities, civil society, businesses, and the general public. Government agencies need to play a central role in policy-making and regulation, while private sector waste management companies can provide innovative solutions. Civil society organisations can help raise awareness and mobilise communities. The general public needs to understand its own role in better waste management practices. The narrative should also encourage cross-sector partnerships, promoting collaboration between environmental groups and urban planners, for example.
Aligning Policies: Waste management policies in India currently exist separately from air quality regulations, despite their direct relationship. To maximise impact, effort should be made to ensure that waste management strategies contribute directly to air quality improvement targets. The National Clean Air Programme should also have clear solid waste management outcomes. The overall narrative should advocate to foster a more holistic approach to tackling pollution.
Emphasising Behavioural Change: Public engagement is key to driving long-term improvements in both waste management and air quality. Behavioural change campaigns can encourage individuals and communities to adopt better waste segregation practices, reducing the volume of waste sent to landfills and preventing illegal burning. Similarly, construction companies can be encouraged to follow the guidelines and best practices in C&D waste disposal, reducing dust emissions and promoting recycling.

Identifying Key Solutions To Prioritise

In developing a cohesive air quality narrative, it is essential to identify and prioritise key solutions that address waste-related air pollution. The following solutions should be at the heart of this narrative:

Strengthening Waste Segregation and Recycling Systems: One of the primary challenges in solid waste management is the lack of proper segregation at the source. Mixed waste often ends up in landfills or is burned in open spaces, both of which contribute to air pollution. Strengthening waste segregation systems, particularly at the household and community levels, can significantly reduce the need for burning or landfill disposal. Public campaigns should promote better segregation, while municipalities should invest in infrastructure that supports large-scale recycling operations.
Tackling C&D Waste Management: Of the 131 non-attainment cities that have shared their city action plans on it, only 35 (26%) have data on C&D waste generation. Stricter regulations on C&D waste management should be enforced, ensuring that construction companies follow proper protocols for disposal and recycling. The narrative should also highlight the need for more efficient recycling plants for C&D waste and the use of eco-friendly building materials that minimise waste generation. Encouraging sustainable construction practices can significantly reduce the industry's environmental footprint.
Valuing Waste: Waste is not merely something to be discarded, but a valuable resource that, when managed properly, can contribute significantly to sustainability and economic growth. By rethinking waste as a resource, materials like plastics, metals, organic matter, and construction debris can be reused, recycled, or transformed into energy, reducing the need for raw materials and cutting down on pollution. Waste-to-energy technologies, composting, and circular economy models demonstrate how waste can fuel new industries, create jobs, and support environmental goals. Valuing waste encourages innovative solutions that turn potential pollutants into resources.
Enhancing Regulatory Enforcement: A key challenge in both waste management and air quality improvement is the lack of effective regulatory enforcement. Strengthening existing regulations and enforcement mechanisms at the municipal and state levels is essential for ensuring compliance with waste management and air quality policies. The narrative should push for greater accountability.

A more cohesive and comprehensive narrative is needed to integrate waste management into the country's air quality agenda. This can be achieved by focusing on the clear interconnectedness and the solutions.