Open Waste Burning in India: Winter Pollution & Environmental Justice

Subject: GS 3: Environment

Context: A World Resources Institute (WRI) India working paper based on field surveys in 11 polluted Indian cities found that open waste burning rises sharply during winter, with burning incidence, quantity and associated emissions reaching up to three times summer levels.

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Key Findings

• Seasonal Increase: Open waste burning increases substantially in winter due to weaker winds, atmospheric stability and temperature inversions, which restrict pollutant dispersion.
• City Size: Tier 2 cities recorded the highest quantity of waste burned, while Tier 3 cities had the highest winter incidence at 49.6 incidents/km²/day, compared with 46 in Tier 2 and 39.4 in Tier 1 cities.
• Waste Composition: Paper and plastics constituted major components of the material being openly burned.
• Major materials: Paper and plastics were among the major materials burned.
• Socio-economic disparity: Poorer neighbourhoods experienced substantially more waste burning, indicating gaps in waste collection and municipal services.
• Local Exposure: Open waste burning contributed less than 1% of total citywide PM2.5 and PM10 emissions in the assessed cities, but its proximity to homes, roads and waste dumps can cause significant localised exposure to toxic smoke.

Statutory And Governance Frameworks

• Sameer App (2016): Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) platform for citizen reporting and monitoring of air-pollution complaints.
• Solid Waste Management Rules (2016): Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) rules prohibiting open burning of municipal solid waste and assigning Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) responsibility for segregation, collection and scientific processing.
• Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) (2017): Framework for Delhi-National Capital Region (Delhi-NCR) providing graded pollution-control measures based on air-quality levels.
• National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) (2019): National framework targeting reduction of Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10) concentrations through city-specific clean-air action plans.
• Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) (2021): Statutory body for coordinated management of air quality in Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas.
• Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0) (2021): Focuses on scientific waste processing, source segregation and remediation of legacy dumpsites.

Impact of open waste burning

• Hazardous Emissions: Burning mixed waste containing plastics, paper and organic matter can release dioxins, furans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and black carbon, alongside particulate matter and other toxic pollutants.
• Health Risks: These pollutants are associated with respiratory, cardiovascular and other adverse health effects, while some toxic compounds have carcinogenic and bioaccumulative properties.
• Ground-Level Exposure: Unlike emissions released through high industrial stacks, open burning occurs directly within residential and street-level environments, increasing near-source exposure for residents, waste workers and other vulnerable groups.
• Winter Amplification: Atmospheric stagnation and temperature inversions can further increase the concentration and persistence of pollutants near the ground.
  • Temperature Inversion: Cooler air trapped near the surface prevents pollutants from rising and dispersing.

Way Forward

• Hotspot Mapping: Use GIS-based mapping to identify recurring waste-burning locations and target municipal action.
• Community Reporting: Integrate citizen reporting mechanisms such as the Sameer App with municipal GIS systems for faster identification and enforcement.
• Alternative Heating: Provide electric or biomass-pellet heating facilities in shelters and vulnerable locations to reduce waste burning for warmth during cold periods.
• Waste-Sensitive Sites: CAQM’s approach of identifying repeatedly affected dumping and burning locations can support site-specific interventions and monitoring.
• Processing Infrastructure: Increase decentralised waste-processing and material-recovery capacity, particularly in cities and neighbourhoods with inadequate collection systems.
• Environmental Justice: Prioritise poorer neighbourhoods where inadequate municipal services can create disproportionate exposure to pollution.

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Conclusion

Open waste burning may be a small contributor to citywide particulate emissions, but its concentration near vulnerable populations makes it an important local air-quality and environmental-justice concern, particularly during winter.

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