India’s Waste Management Crisis : New Study
A new global study in Nature names India as the world’s largest plastic polluter, emitting 9.3 million tonnes annually. The Supreme Court’s verdict on Vellore tanneries offers a judicial template—via continuing mandamus—to enforce waste remediation and environmental justice.Waste management refers to the collection, segregation, treatment, and disposal of solid, liquid, and plastic waste to prevent environmental degradation. Despite claims of 95% national waste collection, Nature (2025) estimates India’s per capita plastic waste generation at 0.54 kg/day, far exceeding official estimates of 0.12 kg/day—indicating underreported rural waste and informal sector exclusion.
