INDIAN MANDALA Indian landfills pollute the air like hundreds of thousands of cars

As tall as 15-story buildings, they are powerful sources of methane, which warms the air 84 times more than carbon dioxide. The Modi government has launched a campaign to clean up at least 600 in different cities by 2026. But to really tackle the problem, it is essential to recognize the value of the work of the safai saathis, the informal garbage collectors, who almost always belong to the lower castes.

Milan () – The places where garbage is dumped and accumulated in South Asia are powerful sources of methane, a gas that in the first 20 years of its release into the atmosphere has a capacity to heat the air 84 times greater than carbon dioxide. According to some studies, almost a quarter of global emissions come from India. On March 22, the Ghazipur landfill, on the outskirts of Delhi, emitted about 2.17 tons of methane per hour, an impact that, if it continues for a year, would correspond to the annual emissions of 350,000 American cars. The Ghazipur landfill is one of the largest – the piles of waste reach heights of 15 stories – and dangerous in the world due to the ease with which fires break out and can spread diseases such as tuberculosis. According to some witnesses, the population that lives in the surroundings does not exceed 50 years.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has launched the campaign “Clean India“, which aims to clean at least 600 landfills in various cities by 2026. India produces 62 million tons of waste per year, half of which accumulates in landfills. Based on forecasts of rapid urbanization and population growth, the country could produce 165 million tons of waste by 2030.

Current regulations state that Indian households must separate biodegradable waste from dry and household hazardous waste. However, since there are no controls, the latter often end up in landfills along with organic waste.

With annual growth of 7%, the garbage collection economy is estimated to be worth around US$15 billion by 2025. In 2017, India for the first time required municipalities and local authorities to include informal garbage collectors waste (called safai saathis) in the process of garbage management. There are about 4 million people who select and collect recyclable waste in landfills, which they then sell to companies that deal with it. 90% are women who are forced to do this work due to lack of alternatives, but there are also children, migrants and members of the lowest castes who engage in this activity. Thanks to this informal chain, India has one of the best recycling rates in the world: for example, 70% of plastic bottles are recycled, compared to 31% in the United States. However, these “garbage collectors” not only lack any kind of social protection but are also harassed and accused of theft by the police when they are caught with bags full of rubbish. Many suffer from chronic illnesses such as coughs and musculoskeletal malformations due to the heavy loads they are forced to carry. However, the work they do has a very high economic and environmental value.

There is still a long way to go to formalize this activity, and the construction of waste-to-energy plants, for example, while it would help India reduce emissions, would deprive these workers of their only source of income. A recent survey based on a sample of 9,000 Safai Saathis from 14 Indian cities showed that only 20% had a bank account linked to Jan Dhan Yojana, the government’s financial inclusion programme, while half said they have and use a ration card. The first step in including Indian pickers in the government’s social welfare system would be to issue identity documents certifying that they are municipal workers who are entitled to a minimum wage.

“INDIAN MANDALA” IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO INDIA

DO YOU WANT TO RECEIVE IT IN YOUR MAIL EVERY THURSDAY? SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER AT THIS LINK