GIZ: India Organic Waste 2

Background

India, a rapidly growing and one of the most populous countries in the world, is facing the pressing challenge to manage organic waste in a sustainable manner. India generates 62 million tonnes of municipal solid waste per year, of which 75% is collected. Only 20% of collected waste is treated. About 80% of this waste is finally dumped in landfills. Inadequate waste management practices can lead to public health risks, environmental degradation and economic losses. Against this backdrop, there is an urgent necessity to adopt sustainable waste management methods and embrace climate friendly, energy-generating techniques, to harness the potential of organic waste effectively.

The “Swachh Bharat Mission Urban” (Clean India Mission) launched in 2014 by the Indian Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), provided a framework to tackle two of the country’s key urban challenges: the management of municipal solid waste, and sewage.

Although the government has undertaken numerous initiatives, such as the promotion of compost production as a business model for farmers, there are still many challenges hindering the management of organic waste. For cities, it is of utmost importance to identify, define, manage, and mitigate the sources of methane generation within the framework of municipal management.

The objective of the second phase of Clean India Mission 2.0 on behalf of MoHUA is to create waste-free cities with targeted waste treatment in all 4041 urban facilities across the country.

Aim of the cooperation

In collaboration with the Indian Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the GIZ Global Project "Environmental Protection Worldwide" is conducting the module on organic waste management in India as part of the BMUV Export Initiative for Environmental Protection. The project focuses on integrated waste management and introduces improved methods for a more sustainable handling of organic waste in the three cities of Kanpur, Kochi, and Port Blair, as well as in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These measures are being implemented at both regional and national levels and include central and decentralized systems for managing organic waste, such as aerobic composting and biological methanization.

Based on urban and state action plans and strategies developed in collaboration with the University of Rostock and the Indian organization Saahas as part of the GIZ Global Project, selected measures for sustainable management of organic waste are planned to be implemented.

The project builds on the experience, partnerships and successful implementation of the Organic Waste Management in India project from 2021 to March 2023.