waste management system

The "mountains of garbage" dotting India's cities is currently the most critical issues facing our planet. Time and again, experts have said, not segregating our waste is one of the major reasons behind the current garbage crisis, as a result, today, garbage is clogging our mountains, rivers, oceans, impacting health of the people and the environment. To discuss more about the issue and the threat of the ever-growing manmade garbage mountains, on this episode of Banega Swasth India Podcast, we speak with Saumya Roy, Author of a recent book Mountain Tales - Love and Loss in the Municipality of Castaway Belongings.  

Delhi's Ghazipur landfill has been making international and national headlines for some time now. Commissioned by the Delhi government in 1984, the landfill crossed its capacity in 2002 but even today, 20 years later, the waste is dumped there. Today, according to the statistics, the dump site receives almost 3,000 metric tonnes of waste every day. As per the last count done in 2019, the mountain of garbage is around 65 metres tall (around 213 ft), which is almost at par with the height of the Taj Mahal, which is around 73 metres and just 8 metres short of the Qutub Minar. In terms of area, the landfill covers an area of 70 acres; which is larger than that of the Taj Mahal, which is spread across 42 metres.  In 2017, two people died and five were injured when this mountain of garbage collapsed. But the incoming of waste continues. So, what is wrong with Ghazipur exactly and why haven't we able to control all these mishaps over the years? On this episode, we will be speaking with experts to get a detailed insight on what is not right with Delhi's waste management system and the solutions on the road ahead.  We have with us - Richa Singh, Landfill expert from Centre for Science and Environment; Chitra Mukherjee, Consultant, Waste and Sustainable Livelihood; Swati Sambyal, Independent Waste and Circular Economy expert.