How Waste Management works in India

Due to our large population and as well as lack of basic infrastructure we are creating a large amount of waste in our country and it is a herculean task to recycle or convert it in useful product or manage it intelligently. Our waste collection capacities and abilities are well below the waste generation in our country and it is a challenge for the municipal authorities to handle and dispose such a large quantum of waste being generated everyday in our country. It is true that India has taken some concrete steps in the past few years to tackle the problems of waste management but still we are lagging much in this race for waste management. We are generating about 60 million tonnes of garbage everyday and our handling and recycling capacities are limited to only about 45 million tonnes which means that about 15 million tonnes of waste is unattended every day which will become a very big figure when gets accumulated over a time. There are countries like Germany, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Uganda, South Korea, Columbia, Indonesia which have thought out of box ideas for recycling and reducing the waste in their respective country and others are learning from their experiments.

As waste management is becoming a burning issue and Govt is giving emphasis on it then it is natural that jobs would be created in this sector and it makes sense to go for some diploma or certificate course in this area where activities are going to increase. There are many reputed courses that one can think of to get learnings and skills in this field. Some of the institutions and their courses are -

1. Institute of Good Manufacturing Practices India (IGMPI) - It offers PG Diploma in waste management which is a comprehensive course and can be completed in 1 to 2 years time.
2. Centre for Environment and Development - This institute has designed a 2 weeks certificate course in waste management in consultation with the Ministry of Urban Development.
3. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) - It offers 6 months certification online course in waste management.

There are some other institutes of repute which are also offering courses in this field, the details of which can be obtained from their respective websites. These institutes are Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health Kolkata, and International Institute of Waste Management (IIWM) Bangalore.

India is a very big country and the population is very high. So the waste generated is also very high. But the following are the facts that some may not believe.
1. An American on average produces 8 times more waste than an Indian.
2. An European on average produces more e-waste than an Indian
3. An average Westerner uses more plastic materials than an Indian.
But the municipal authorities there can handle the waste more efficiently than our Indian authorities.
In those countries, even people in rural areas also know how to segregate waste. But in India that awareness is less and commitment is less. In Western countries, the authorities use machines to clean the streets and keep them clean. Even in India also we can use these machines but the people involved should have that commitment. India has to learn many techniques in waste management and recycling waste from western countries.
The present Central government is committed to this and Swacha Bharat is a step forward in that direction.
It is estimated that Urban India is presently generating62 million tonnes of waste annually. It is estimated that this quantity may go up to 165 million tonnes in 2030. It is reported that 43 million tonnes of municipal solid waste are collected annually. 31 million tonnes is landfilled in sites and the remaining 11.9 million is only treated. (The figures are taken from the literature available on the internet). This is really very critical situation and the government should think of this and people should understand the situation and cooperate with the authorities. Separating various wastes based on their nature at the source is very important.
There are chances many jobs may get created in this country in the coming days. So getting a qualification in this subject trying for a job is a very nice option.
There are some undergraduate and postgraduate courses in this line. To get into the UG course one should have a pass in 10+2 with Biological sciences and Physical sciences. To have a PG degree admission you should have a graduate degree in related subjects like Waste Management, Environmental science, Environmental Engineering, Chemistry and Civil Engineering.
The following are some of the top institutions offering courses in this field.
1, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi
2, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
3, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health Kolkata
4. International Institute of Waste Management (IIWM) Bangalore
5, Chhatrapati Shahu Institute of Business Education and Research, Kolhapur
6. Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal
7. Desh Bhagat University, Mandi Gobindgarh

It is very difficult task to manage waste material in India like big country. Our country has no good infrastructure and technology in waste management. That's why despite of being less producer of waste material compare to western country, It is in bad situation. Here is a great challenge for municipal authorities to collect and recycle It. India generates 62 million tonnes of waste each year. About 43 million tonnes (70%) are collected of which about 12 million tonnes are treated and 31 million tonnes are dumped in landfill sites.
Time to time, our govt give emphasis on waste management and try to implement in all possible way. Swachh bharat abhiyan is also one of the trial in the direction of waste management. There are different undergraduate, postgraduate, certificate and diploma course available in this direction. Many job opportunities are being created day by day. Some reputed institute which offer courses related to waste management are as follows:-
1. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
2. International Institute of Waste Management,Bangalore.
3. Indian Institute of technology, Delhi
4. Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal
5. All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health Kolkata.