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Indian urban dwellers generate 0.20.6 kg per person per day resulting into a national total generation of nearly 105,000 metric tons of solid wastes per day. The country’s largest cities collect between 70-90% of total wastes generated, while smaller cities and towns usually collect less than 50% (Kumar, 2009). Uncollected wastes accumulate on the streets, public spaces, and vacant lots, sometimes creating illegal open dumps. Residents can also simply throw their wastes at the nearest stream or burn them. Uncollected wastes, and residents’ actions to deal with them, create pollution problems and pose risks to human health and the environment. Cities spend US $11.60 34.90 per metric ton in waste collection, transportation, treatment, and final disposal. Most of this cost is spent on collection (60-70 %), while transportation requires 20-30 %, and final disposal less than 5 %. New Delhi, the national capital, for instance, spends 71% in collection, 26 % in transportation, and 3 % in final disposal (Kumar, 2009). Virtually all the country’s collected wastes are disposed of at open dumps, which are the cheapest option available. Despite their low cost, open dumps is a source of land, water, and air pollution, as well as public health hazards. Waste collection methods vary from city to city, and even within each city. Door-to-door collection is not widely practiced. This collection method exists where residential associations hire private scavengers to perform it. Wastes from narrow residential and commercial lanes, and areas with high traffic are often not collected. Even though India’s Supreme Court ruled that municipalities should offer door-to-door collection (the Indian Supreme Court is quite powerful and plays a slightly different role than the US Supreme Court), progress to comply with this ruling has been slow (Kumar, 2009). Slums and squatter areas often suffer from sporadic or no waste collection at all. Many lowincome individuals lack toilets, and urinate and defecate on the streets or open spaces. Open defecation and disposal of sewage and garbage from such settlements needs proper attention. A large number of cows roam the streets in Indian cities, and the dung they generate is not properly managed (Kumar 2009; http://www.waste-management |
