COM102 ADVANCED WRITING SKILLS

TANA TRIVEDI : PROFESSOR

OPINION PIECE

MOHIL MODHA
AU1811294
TY BBA

THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT INDUSTRIAL WASTE DISPOSAL IN INDIA

In my opinion the recurring problem of increasing waste accumulation in India is a worrying

situation. 1.4 lakh tons of waste is generated daily in India consisting of dry waste, wet waste
and plastic waste. While desperate measures are being taken to tackle India's raging waste
problem, much remains to be done by instituting waste sorting at source, composting, reuse
and recycling. regarding the segregation and proper treatment of waste. However, hazardous
waste remains one of the biggest problems in India. A recent joint study by the Associated
Chambers of Commerce of India (ASSOCHAM) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) found
that the amount of waste in India is increasing by 2 to 5 percent annually, a sharp and
worrying increase. The study also states that approximately 10 to 15 percent of industrial
waste in India is hazardous. The Department of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
defines hazardous waste as any waste that, due to its physical, chemical or biological
composition, is likely to cause harm to health or the environment. Various industries in India
such as petrochemical, pharmaceutical, chemical, fertilizer and general engineering produce
hazardous waste in significant quantities. Hazardous waste is the worst waste product
because it is extremely harmful to the environment and causes significant health risks.
Unfortunately, industries both large and small have paid little attention to the proper
management of hazardous waste, which has led to environmental degradation for years. said
Rakesh Kumar of the National Institute of Environmental Engineering.

The study estimates that nearly 74.6 lakh tons of hazardous waste is generated annually in
India. Of this, waste that can be sent to landfill accounts for about 34.1 lakh tons, or 46
percent of the total. Recyclable hazardous waste accounts for 33.5 lakh tons, or 45 percent of
the total. As the amount of recyclable hazardous waste accounts for a significant percentage
of the total, India should improve its waste recycling mechanisms. Hazardous waste is more
hazardous due to its direct impact on health and the environment. Methane fuel gas is a
common byproduct of hazardous waste accumulation that leads to health problems such as
lung infections, heart disease and cancer-causing radiation. Methane is also known to attack
bodies of water, rendering them unusable due to the accumulation of the gas. on the surface.
Hazardous waste can also seep through sewage systems and affect drinking water and
become toxic. Although waste is an overall concern for India, hazardous waste in particular is
an area of concern. In February 2017, the Supreme Court arrested the Union government for
receiving waste from other countries in order to reuse and recycle it and allow it to go to
landfill in India, endangering the health of citizens and the environment. . Earlier, India had
banned the import of solid plastic waste, edible fats, animal oils and household waste under
the Renewed Hazardous and Other Waste (Transboundary Movement and Management)
Rules 2016. so that these items are not imported and contribute to the already existing waste
problems in India. The revised 2016 laws clearly state that owners of hazardous waste
management facilities can be fined if they fail to comply with regulations governing the
transport, storage and recycling of such waste, and can even be imprisoned for negligence.
The regulations also specifically direct state governments to identify sites for the construction
of waste treatment facilities specifically designed to treat hazardous waste. So far, however,
no new hazardous waste treatment plant has been built since the new regulations came into
force.There are only 17 disposal facilities in India with safe landfills and scientific
incinerators. Many states such as Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab and Orissa do not have a
hazardous waste disposal mechanism.

At least two memoranda, including one to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, were filed Thursday
against the Hindusthan Chemicals Company for allegedly disposing of toxic chemical waste
outdoors in the village of Vankuth, Bharuch district. Gujarat Khedut Samaj filed a
memorandum with the Surat district collection agency on Thursday, urging management to
permanently shut down the company's Olpad unit over alleged involvement in illegal disposal
of hazardous chemical waste on open land in a Bharuch tribal village. The Brackish Water
Research Centre, an NGO, also presented the Prime Minister with a memorandum urging him
to crack down on the company and calling for a CID investigation into the matter. Khedut
Samaj mentioned in his memorandum that the company produces cyanide. Residents of
Olpad Taluka had previously raised the issue of the company's illegal disposal of untreated
toxic waste. A few days ago, a tribal youth from Vankuth village in Umalla Taluka, Bharuch
district, caught three trucks dumping hazardous waste directly on open land on the outskirts
of town, the memo said. The villagers then called the NGOs Brackish Water Research Center
and Khedut Samaj and then informed the Ankleshwar police, who instituted proceedings
against the three truck drivers. Officials from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB)
also arrived at the scene, examined the toxic waste and launched an investigation.The GPCB
found that the toxic waste was brought in by the Hindusthan Chemicals Company in Olpad in
Surat district and disposed of in Bharuch, the memo said.

I would like to conclude by saying that 1.4 lakh tons of waste is generated daily in India
consisting of dry waste, wet waste and plastic waste. 10 to 15 percent of industrial waste in
India is hazardous. Various industries such as petrochemical, pharmaceutical, chemical,
fertilizer and general engineering produce hazardous waste. Study estimates that nearly 74.6
lakh tons of hazardous waste is generated annually in India. Recyclable hazardous waste
accounts for 33.5 lakh tons, or 45 percent of the total. There are only 17 disposal facilities in
India with safe landfills and incinerators. Two memoranda filed against Hindusthan
Chemicals Company for illegally disposing of toxic chemical waste. Memo submitted to
Gujarat Chief Minister, PM urging him to crack down on company. Brackish Water Research
Centre and Khedut Samaj also called for a CID investigation.
REFERENCES

https://swachhindia.ndtv.com/top-10-things-know-indias-waste-management-woes-6374/

http://cpheeo.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/chap6.pdf

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.160764

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/waste/india-s-challenges-in-waste-management-56753

https://flores.unu.edu/en/news/news/the-crisis-of-waste-management-in-india.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5383819/