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Mammoth waste problem a test of resolve

As solid waste mounts in developing countries, the authorities must adopt innovative and effective solutions

    • Environmental activists lobbying against plastic pollution on Earth Day in April 2024 in Seoul. One way to rein in the problem of solid waste is to adopt a circular economy model, which aims to develop a system of production and consumption involving prolonging the lifecycle of products.
    • Environmental activists lobbying against plastic pollution on Earth Day in April 2024 in Seoul. One way to rein in the problem of solid waste is to adopt a circular economy model, which aims to develop a system of production and consumption involving prolonging the lifecycle of products. PHOTO: AFP
    Published Tue, Jun 11, 2024 · 05:00 AM

    DAYS after winning a massive electoral mandate in June 2014, the Narendra Modi government took up a “flagship programme” for the “effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation” of the Ganges.

    This was followed four months later by the “Clean India Mission”, which saw Modi hitting the streets, swiping away waste with a large broom. A simple Mahatma Gandhi logo was adopted for the government-driven programme.

    By 2022, the Clean India Mission was widely described as a failure. And, 10 years after the fanfare with which it was launched, the Ganges remains as filthy as ever as human waste continues to be discharged into the river.

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