urban waste and its disposal

• Mumbai’s waste production has doubled since 1999 thanks to the rise in population and incomes. In 2016, Mumbai produced 11,000 tonnes of waste per day.
• Lots of waste is unregulated and ends up in the river systems. The Mithi River is highly polluted.
• Some estimates say that Mumbai recycles 80% of it’s dry waste in slums like Dharavi. Workers manually sift through and sort waste for recycling. However, they do so without protection and conditions are very poor.
• Mumbai is home to the largest rubbish dump in Asia – Deonar. It is 18 storeys high and contains over 16million tonnes of rubbish
• o   Decomposing waste releasees gases such as methane and carbon monoxide.

  o   Rubbish fires at landfills contribute to 10% of Mumbai’s urban air pollution.

  Not properly regulated. Pollutants leach out of the rubbish dumps
• As of 2021, the BBC reported that Mumbai only has one incineration plant.
• New plans proposed by Prime Minister Modi to build more incineration plants. However, there are worries that it will impact the livelihoods of scrappers who rely on the waste.