Integrated Solid Waste Management Programme - A sustained and perennial solution Kisan Mehta Priya Salvi Dilip Sankarreddy Save Bombay Committee

The Save Bombay Committee (SBC) is a 'not for profit' public trust and a registered society set up in the year Brief Introduction to SBC Since 1973, SBC has been agitating for: Conservation of the finite natural resources through wise usage Appropriate management of solid and liquid waste and reduction of waste Safe treatment and discharge of waste water. Elimination/reduction of toxic substances in private and public life Promotion of chemical-free sustainable agriculture Rehabilitation of slums Ensuring minimum standards of public health Pedestrian oriented sustainable public transport Improving the quality of living and equitable access to all living beings to the natural resources of the region, country and the earth

Few achievements of SBC Played an active role in setting up of Ministry of Environment and Forests(MoEF) in 1978 for the first time at Government of India level. Co-prepared Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) Regional Plan for Mumbai Metropolitan Area for The Government of India has laid down norms for handling Municipal waste, medical waste and toxic industrial waste on the basis of solid waste programmes launched by SBC. Persuaded the government to enact rule that every vehicle needs to be checked for exhaust emission every three months and get certification. SBC successfully fought against demolishment of many heritage buildings and set up cells for listing them. Campaign of organic natural cotton cultivation involving 135 farmers working of 1200 hectares of land in 1995 turned out to be the largest organic cotton cultivation in the world.

Integrated Solid Waste Management Programme (ISWMP) - Philosophy “Cradle To Grave” approach Towards "Zero garbage“ No incineration 3R principle of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Live partnership between the government and the people

Integrated Solid Waste Management Programme (ISWMP) - Implemented Wet waste, dry waste and rejected building materials are found to be approximately in the ratio of 55:10:35 in Mumbai Segregation of waste at source. In many instances, rag pickers take up the job of segregating the waste after collecting from houses. Biodegradable organic or wet waste is converted as soil conditioner/manure through vermiculture Recyclable or dry waste is collected by rag pickers. ALMs to facilitate acceptance of rag pickers into posh housing colonies. Rejected building material or inert waste is used for long term hill- scaping for creation of community leisure spaces.

Integrated Solid Waste Management Programme (ISWMP) - Implemented Approximately 300,000 citizens are already practising the ISWMP Worked with Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) as a consultant for three years in finalising work plans MCGM designated our partnerships as Advanced Locality Management (ALM) Various municipalities across India have adopted ISWMP Government of India has laid down norms for handling Municipal, medical and toxic industrial wastes - Indian Municipal Solid Wastes (Management Handling) Rules 2000

Current SWM progress throughout India Realisation across India that better solutions other than incineration More emphasis on cost-effective solutions for SWM compared to that in Western countries, due to modest municipal budgets Importance of door-to-door waste collection has also been realized More initiatives in collating experiences and successful methods across municipalities, albeit on a limited regional levels in certain parts of the country.

Scaling up our good work throughout India Banding the cities based on population Population in millions 1st bandGreater than 3 2nd bandBetween 2 and 3 3rd bandBetween 1 and 2 4th bandBetween 0.5 and 1 5th bandBetween 0.25 and 0.5

Scaling up our good work throughout India Population in millionsLegend 1st bandGreater than 3 2nd bandBetween 2 and 3 3rd bandBetween 1 and 2 4th bandBetween 0.5 and 1

Scaling up our good work throughout India Worldwide comparison of cities across the bands Population in millions IndiaChinaBrazilUS 1 st bandGreater than nd bandBetween 2 and rd bandBetween 1 and th bandBetween 0.5 and th bandBetween 0.25 and Not available 5738

Practices to be evolved – Information Sharing Creating means for lasting coordination between all administrative establishments across all municipalities A mechanism to share knowledge and practices across these municipalities and inter-state planning bodies Current lack of adequate disbursal of information to public domain. Means should be evolved so that data can be availed across all municipalities in prescribed framework of benchmarks so that comparative performance of municipalities in SWM can be accurately done. Methodological orientation for local municipal decision-makers as well as for workers involved in SWM on a regular basis. Spreading awareness about SWM even in rural settlements at a later stage.

Practices to be evolved No buffering zone (by planting trees) around the land-fill areas to limit its ill-effects to nearby residents. No regulations to discourage creation of slums around land-fill areas. This problem is more pronounced in high-density cities. Groundwater contamination by landfills is still not being monitored Continuation of policy of creation of more landfills even though the cost of acquisition of land is increasing in recent years. The quick-fix solution being followed now is to find suitable locations further away. This only increases the transportation costs. Shift in policy not evidenced. No practices to reclaim and reuse sections of landfill areas that were used few decades ago for dumping. These saturated swathes of land still remain unattended, even though the waste is in semi-rotten stage.

Practices to be evolved Statistical determination of landfill locations/SWM plants, with due importance to optimum use of transport resources and cost efficiencies in movement of waste from sources of generation to points of treatment Emphasis on establishment of multiple treatment plants in different corners of any major city, if feasible. This is in alternative to simplified centralized solutions.

We offer to participate in replicating ISWMP For a long time, SBC has been: Taking up major issues in national, state and local levels Providing sustainable low-cost alternatives to the government for public projects. SBC is: Member of Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) Endorser of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) promoted by GrassRoots Recycling Network (GRNN).

Thank you! Dilip Sankarreddy -