Why India’s waste crisis persists in rural areas: Lessons from a coastal taluka in Maharashtra
Several public health and safety concerns in India today are tied to an uneven and improper waste management system. Stray dogs become territorial around open garbage dumps; rising air pollution can be traced to the routine burning of waste; and unregulated wet waste and contaminated water create breeding grounds for seasonal diseases such as chikungunya and dengue.
While central rules and legislation outline the structure of solid waste management (SWM) across the country, states retain the prerogative to design systems suited to local contexts. Public discussions about waste in India continue to focus largely on cities. Rural waste, though no less urgent, receives far less attention.
The combined impact of increased tourism and the absence of functional waste management systems has inundated pristine natural environments with undisposed waste in many rural areas. Over the course of a year, we observed how solid waste management unfolds in a rural taluka in coastal Maharashtra.
