Name of the Student: Anakha Hari

Registration Number: 20DBLBT002

Programme: LL.B.

Semester: 5

Course Name: Environmental Law

Course Code: 5BLB502

Component: Research Paper-Synopsis

Date of Submission: 1st Nov 2022

Submitted to: Asst. Prof. Anuja Paul

 A Critical Study on the Law & Policy on Waste Management Law &
Policy in Bangalore

Background of the Study

The city of Bangalore often termed as the garden city in India, now the IT hub was a city
modelled by the visionary feudatory of the Vijayanagar empire, Hiriya Kempe Gowda. The great
visionary created the city by surrounding it with lakes and markets in 1537 AD. The city of
Bangalore had almost 1000 lakes when the city was fortified. The weather and opportunities of the
city attracted more people in to the city. Also known as start-up city of India, Bangalore has a
metro area population of Bangalore 13,193,000 as per 2022 survey, a 3.35% increase from 2021. 1

With the growing population the waste generated by the city especially in households have
increased. Food wastes, plastics, paper, glass, leather, cardboard, metals, yard wastes, ashes, and
special wastes including bulky home objects like electronics, tyres, batteries, old mattresses, and
used oil are the major sources of garbage; therefore, it is vital to arrange these according to
priority.
Through the creation of mechanically treated prototypes, recycling of inorganic solid waste such as
plastic, metal, paper, and cardboard was made possible. Measures to reduce solid waste include
waste avoidance through education, internal recycling of manufacturing waste by sorting, source-
focused trash quality improvement, and reuse of items for the same purpose. Waste segregation is
another important measure that can be adopted to ensure proper waste management. Yet, the city
of Bangalore faces a lot of waste management crisis. It is essential understand law and policy with
regard to waste management in Bangalore, which can held devise measures for the same.
Recycling and Composting are the greatest options available in case of waste management which
can avoid its accumulation and from it becoming a reason environmental pollution and
degradation. This paper examines whom does the liability of waste management fall on-
government or the citizens and analyse & suggest methods for better waste management in
Bangalore.

1
Bangalore, India Metro Area Population 1950-2022 (no date) MacroTrends. Available at:
https://www.macrotrends.net/cities/21176/bangalore/population (Accessed: November 2, 2022).
 1. Introduction
In particular in developing nations, municipal solid waste management (MSWM) has
emerged as one of the major environmental concerns. One of Asia's cities with the quickest
growth rates is Bengaluru, the state capital of Karnataka. With a 2190 km2 area and a
population of roughly 10.18 million, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) produces
solid waste at an average rate of 0.5 kg per person per day (kg/capita/d), or about 5000 metric
tonnes per day.

Due to the outdated methods of disposing of generated waste and the high costs associated
with the lack of adequate infrastructure, Bengaluru City is experiencing significant issues.
Additionally, open dumping in the city's growth area poses serious issues for the structures built
on these old dumps. In the meanwhile, poor leachate treatment led to a decline in groundwater
quality. The present study discusses the possibility for treating the wastes, so lowering the
quantity of waste that must be transported to the landfill, with the goal of evaluating the
potential implications on the water environment and offering a better waste management
strategy. Decentralization might also become commercially viable and alleviate Bengaluru City's
existing MSWM system's technological shortcomings if this garbage is utilised for energy and
nutrient recovery.

Degradation of the environment and the energy crises are two crucial problems for global
sustainable development. In some emerging nations, like India, Malaysia, Nepal, and Bangladesh,
serious significant waste management issues have been caused by fast urbanisation, industry, and
population growth. In emerging nations, it has been observed that solid trash is dumped onto
access routes, vacant fields, and waterways as the village transforms into towns and cities. At every
stage of development, people produce residential, agricultural, industrial, and medical waste. This
trash consists of organic solid and semisolid wastes, both of which may be biodegradable or not.
Therefore, effective garbage collection and disposal became crucial in community environmental
sanitation efforts.

More than 60 illegal dumpsites have been found in Bengaluru. As the BBMP and the Karnataka
State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) close existing dumpsites, new ones continue to appear
elsewhere, endangering the health of locals. In addition to proper processing and disposal, the
MSW (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000 recommend source-specific garbage collection
and transportation. The creation of a long-term plan for an MSWM system is hindered by a lack of
understanding of the quantity and characteristics of trustworthy waste sources. The BBMP
therefore determined that it was necessary to evaluate the current state of Bengaluru's municipal
solid waste management system.2Recycling and Composting are the greatest options available in
case of waste management which can avoid its accumulation and from it becoming a reason
environmental pollution and degradation. In this context, the current paper addresses the
possibilities for better waste management that would need less garbage to be transported and
disposed of in landfills. Decentralization might potentially become economically feasible if this
trash is utilised for energy and nutrient recovery. This paper also examines whom does the liability
of waste management fall on- government or the citizens and analyse & suggest methods for better
waste management in Bangalore.

2. Statement of Problem
A brief study in few of the localities in North Bangalore shows a common man the pathetic
condition of waste management, treatment and disposal in the city. The waste collection centres
take segregated waste only in few places else for the convenience of residents, the waste is
collected without segregating. This analyses the existing laws and policies with regard to waste
management in Bangalore and tries to compare it with Indore(regarded as the cleanest city in
India), to devise better mechanisms, law and policy with regard to waste management in the
city.

3. Literature Review
Review of Literature plays an instrumental role in distinguishing the different sets of ideas and
gaps in order to facilitate research. For the purpose of this research paper, commentaries and
articles have been used.

I. Citizen Networks in the Garden City: Protecting Urban Ecosystems in Rapid Urbanization.
Landscape and Urban Planning by Enqvist, J, M Tengö and Ö Bodin .
In Bangalore, India, where growing urbanisation puts strain on traditional management
structures as well as the ecosystems providing advantages for the city's residents, a citizen
network active in environmental issues is attempted to be described in a research paper Citizen
Networks in the Garden City: Protecting Urban Ecosystems in Rapid Urbanization. Landscape
and Urban Planning by Enqvist, J, M Tengö and Ö Bodin . The study employs a mixed
methodology approach that includes social network analysis and qualitative interviews. The
paper's major conclusions show how the citizen network works as a forum for dialogue between
various interest groups and as a watchdog that keeps an eye on parks, lakes, and trees to stop

2
Naveen BP, Sitharam TG, Sivapullaiah PV. Status of solid waste management in Bengaluru and review of solid waste techniques
adopted. In: International conference on waste management for sustainable development (21-23 2014); Palakkad, Kerala, India;
2014. pp. 11-17
further loss of fragmented urban ecosystems. 3 The authors stress the significance of this for
keeping track of Bangalore's dispersed ecosystems as well as for increasing public support and
awareness. The study also emphasises the urgent need to create a thorough framework for
urban environmental stewardship in order to better characterise prospective citizen
responsibilities in governance under various social, political, and ecological circumstances and
at various stages of urban change. The authors stress the significance of this for keeping track of
Bangalore's dispersed ecosystems as well as for increasing public support and awareness. The
study also emphasises the urgent need to create a thorough framework for urban environmental
stewardship in order to better characterise prospective citizen responsibilities in governance
under various social, political, and ecological circumstances and at various stages of urban
change.

II. Municipal Solid Waste Management in Indian Cities – A Review. Waste Management by
Sharholy, M, K Ahmad, G Mahmood and R C Trivedi .
An extensive assessment of the characteristics, generation, collection, transportation,
disposal, and treatment technologies of MSW used in India is made in the paper Municipal Solid
Waste Management in Indian Cities – A Review. Waste Management by Sharholy, M, K Ahmad, G
Mahmood and R C Trivedi . The study was conducted to assess the current situation and
pinpoint the main issues with MSWM for Indian cities. The pros and cons of the numerous
MSW treatment technologies that have been widely used and thoroughly assessed were also
mentioned. NGOs that may enhance MSWM efficiency should be established, and public
awareness of the health risks of wastes should also be spread among the populace. The study
concludes that the biggest obstacles to MSWM are a lack of resources, including funding,
infrastructure, appropriate planning and data, and leadership. 4

III. Urban Solid Waste Management in Low-income Countries of Asia How to Cope with the
Garbage Crisis by Zurbrugg, C
In an effort to examine awareness and attitudes, the work by Zurbrugg, C titled Urban Solid
Waste Management in Low-income Countries of Asia How to Cope with the Garbage Crisis
used some examples of ongoing education and awareness initiatives, such as the regular "Green
and Clean" campaigns run by the Metro Manila Women Balikatan Movement and the Green
Forum in Manila to raise environmental consciousness (UNEP-IETC, 1996). He also cites the
Environmental Pioneer Brigade Programme in Sri Lanka as an illustration, where kids are
taught how to manage environmental issues or take preemptive measures to avoid them
altogether. The survey also mentions resource recovery and recycling initiatives, such as those
3
Enqvist, J, M Tengö and Ö Bodin (2014). Citizen Networks in the Garden City: Protecting Urban Ecosystems in Rapid
Urbanization. Landscape and Urban Planning, 130: 24-35.
4
Sharholy, M, K Ahmad, G Mahmood and R C Trivedi (2008). Municipal Solid Waste Management in Indian Cities –
A Review. Waste Management, 28 (2): 459-67.
taking place in the Philippines, where an increasing number of local governments are pursuing
integrated waste management, which incorporates waste reduction, recycling, composting, and
re-use. Composting and the use of compost in agriculture are supported and promoted in
Bangladesh by local government officials as well as the Ministry of Agriculture. Similar to this,
the new solid waste legislation in India (Ministry of Environment and Forests, 2000) mandates
that municipalities implement household waste segregation of organic and non-organic waste
(referred to as "wet" and "dry" waste, respectively), and treat the organic fraction by composting
or other suitable means. Although successful novel approaches and ideas have been applied at
various levels of the solid waste management system in several cities. 5

4. Research Gap
Based on literature review, the area of research lacks study with regard to on whom the
liability of waste management falls up on. The research area also lacks a comparison with regard
to the position and law & policy in Indore & Bangalore.

5. Research Questions
i. What are the methods that can be adopted to improve the law and policy relating to waste
management system of the BBMP?
ii. Whom does the liability of segregation of waste fall up on?
iii. What is best management system that can be adopted by Bangalore in order to improve
the environment and prevent environmental degradation?

6. Scope and Objective of the Study

 To study the methods that can be adopted to improve the law and policy relating to waste
management system of the BBMP
 To study and understand the scope of liability in the case of waste segregation and
management.
 To study and understand best management system that can be adopted by Bangalore in
order to improve the environment and prevent environmental degradation

7. Limitations of the study

 The study is restricted to residential waste management and practices
 The study does not look in to international overview, policies and practices with regard to
waste management.

5
Zurbrugg, C (2002). Urban Solid Waste Management in Low-income Countries of Asia How to Cope with the
Garbage Crisis. Presented for: Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) Urban Solid Waste
Management Review Session, Durban, South Africa, 1-13.
 8. Research Methodology
The research is both doctrinal and non-doctrinal in nature. It is analytical and descriptive
research methodology. The researcher has made use of facts on information already available
and has analysed those facts to make a comparative evaluation of the material. Analytical
research involves secondary data from various articles and journals. The research also includes
case laws to validate and substantiate arguments. The paper also uses empirical data collected
based on questionaries to write this research paper.
Citation format: This research paper is citied in accordance with the bluebook 21st edition.

9. Research Tools
 Data collection to understand the practicality of waste collection different residential
area using questionaries through google forms.
 Reporting of Ngo Reports and Newspaper articles.
 Analysing existing data such as journals and research articles.

10.Research Outcome
The paper also mentions recycling and resource recovery operations. The principal collection
and transport duties are efficiently handled by Bangalore's current solid waste infrastructure.
However, the systems' reliance on centralised waste treatment and disposal systems has made it
difficult to achieve the big sustainability targets. The paper tries to suggest the methods that can
be adopted to improve the law and policy relating to waste management system of the BBMP. By
suggesting method and analysing policies, there can be an effective measure for waste
management adopted in the city of Bangalore.