Dear MEL Topic Readers,
The nightmare of India's tallest rubbish mountain
India is the world's most populous democratic country with a population of around 14 billion. It has satellites, an aircraft carrier, and a high-tech hub like Bengaluru, but unlike China, social infrastructures like transportation, public facilities, and waste management system are lagging behind the pride and promises of the nation. Even though the national government passed rules to have municipalities process waste, there are not enough waste treatment plants to deal with increasing waste. In fact, there are over 3,000 waste mountains containing 800 million tons of rubbish across the country. For example, Mumbai, India’s commercial and entertainment capital with over 20 million population, has eight rubbish mountains in a suburb, which are the largest and oldest dumpsite in the country. Over 16 million tons of trash are sitting there and more are being brought in every day. The piles reach as high as 36 meters, like an 18-story building. Surprisingly, there are people who enter those trash mountains daily to fetch sellable items, such as plastic bottles, glass, and wire, though it is prohibited. It is dangerous and unhealthy, but such scavenging is necessary for them to make their living. There seems to be a lot to do for India to create a sustainable economy and environment.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about India’s waste mountains.
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