This refers to the editorial, “Waging a war on the world's mounting trash” (November 3) by RK Pachauri. For decades, solid waste has remained a global problem, which has defied any solution. This is one of the five crises for mankind. Issues become more serious for developed economies where waste generation is colossal. However, many developed nations have been following scientific ways of disposal. Enormous efforts are also on here to reduce, reuse and recycle the wastes. A staggering 55 per cent of the waste is converted into energy in Sweden using environment-friendly technologies. Similar examples are galore in many economies. Governments and populations are acutely aware of the enormity of the problem.
India’s efforts in this direction are dismal. It has not touched our population at large. In most part of the country, waste disposal is not seen as a problem but a burden that should somehow be unloaded, the ways and its consequences notwithstanding. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan does not seem to have made any dent in most cities. Smart cities are also waste-smart cities. Our status as a great nation demands that we deal with this problem on war footing. We must accord this a high priority along with national and internal security, poverty reduction and climate change.