Introduction:

• India faces major environmental challenges associated with waste generation and inadequate waste collection, transport, treatment and disposal.
• Current systems in India cannot cope with the volumes of waste generated by an increasing urban population, and this has impact on the environment and public health.
• The challenges and barriers are significant, but so are the opportunities.

• Waste management rules in India are based on the principles of “sustainable development”, “precaution” and “polluter pays”.
• These principles mandate municipalities and commercial establishments to act in an environmentally accountable and responsible manner restoring balance, if their actions disrupt it.
• Vengurla is one of the only towns in India to convert a landfill into a waste management park, called the Swachh Bharat Waste Park.

How waste is managed in Vengurla

Conclusion:

• The state government conferred Vengurla the Vasundhra Award, 2017 for its green initiatives and shortlisted it as a successful model for 100 per cent solid waste management under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. 
• The current situation is that India relies on inadequate waste infrastructure, the informal sector and waste dumping.

• There are major issues associated with public participation in waste management and there is generally a lack of responsibility towards waste in the community.
• There is a need to cultivate community awareness and change the attitude of people towards waste, as this is fundamental to developing proper and sustainable waste management system. 

Source:Downtoearth