Report identifies critical infrastructure gaps and social barriers while outlining strategic pathways for India’s waste sector to align with the nation’s 2070 Net Zero goal.
Current status and challenge
- Emission Contribution: Waste sector accounted for 2.56% of India’s total emissions (2020).
- Infrastructure Gaps: Currently, only 39% of India is covered by a sewer network, and only 44.9% of sewage is collected and treated.
- Urban Pressure and high waste volume: e.g., urban population is expected to reach 53% by 2050.
- India generated 100.9 million tonnes of municipal solid waste and 221,173 million litres per day (MLD) of domestic wastewater (2020).
- Low processing: e.g., only 39% of waste being scientifically processed.
- Other issues: Limited segregation, unmanaged plastic waste, social stigma around waste handling, Fragmented Data System etc.
Key Transformation Levers
Solid waste
- Bio-methanation: Shifting from simple composting to such scientific methods such as converting organic waste into biogas (mainly methane) in presence of microorganisms under anaerobic conditions.
- Source Segregation: Achieving 100% door-to-door segregation in line with Swatch Bharat 2.0.
- Bio-remediation: Cleaning up "legacy waste" (old dumpsites) by use of microorganisms in non-sterile open environments to eliminate or reduce hazardous wastes.
Wastewater
- Domestic wastewater: Augment sewer network coverage to 85% by 2070, ensure 100% faecal sludge treatment by 2070 through Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTPs) and co-treatment, etc.
- Industrial wastewater: Improve aerobic systems to reach a near-zero Methane Correction Factor (MCF) by 2035, specifically in the fertilizers, petroleum, and fish processing sectors.
Behavioral & Institutional Shifts
- Mission LiFE: Promoting sustainable lifestyles to reduce waste generation.
- Informal Sector Integration: Incorporating informal waste pickers into the formal value chain.
- Green Financing: Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), carbon credits, and green bonds.
