India’s persistent solid waste management crisis is rooted in the absence of robust mechanisms, inadequate infrastructure and a lack of accountability across institutions and citizens, experts said during a panel discussion held in Chennai on Tuesday. The discussion highlighted that while several pilot projects and city-level success stories exist, their impact remains limited due to weak policy implementation and poor coordination among stakeholders.
The panel discussion titled Future of Waste Management: Innovation, Technology, and Behaviour Change was part of The Hindu Sustainability Dialogues 2026 in collaboration with Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS) under the theme Shaping Tomorrow’s Sustainable Narrative.
Speakers at the session pointed out that India’s waste management failures begin at the source, with poor segregation and inconsistent door-to-door collection. While cities such as Indore and Noida have demonstrated effective decentralised waste management models, panellists cautioned against blindly replicating these approaches elsewhere. They stressed the need for location-specific solutions backed by consistent public participation and institutional support.
Nagesh Prabhu Chinivartha, Director (Sales and Marketing) at Zigma Global Environ Solutions, said the idea of “waste to wealth” collapses once garbage reaches dumping yards. According to him, meaningful recovery and recycling are only possible when waste is properly segregated at the household level. He argued that citizens must share responsibility for waste management and that financial penalties are often the only effective deterrent. Levying waste management charges through property tax, he added, shifts accountability away from individuals and weakens behavioural change.
Ashokkumar Veeramuthu, Professor and Head of the Centre for Waste Management and Renewable Energy at SIMATS, identified several systemic gaps, including poor segregation at source, limited translation of research into large-scale practice and a lack of focus on public health impacts. He noted that while many research initiatives show promise, they often remain confined to pilot stages. In contrast, he said, waste management systems in several foreign countries function effectively due to clearly defined policies, enforcement mechanisms and penalties for bulk waste generators.
Aravind Kolappan, Vice-President (Business Operations) at E-Cycle Solutions, drew attention to regulatory constraints in India’s e-waste recycling sector. He explained that while companies are permitted to segregate and preprocess electronic waste, in-depth extraction of valuable metals, including rare earth elements, is not allowed domestically. As a result, partially processed material is exported, preventing the development of a complete circular economy within the country.
Janani Venkitesh, environmental activist and secretary of the Residents of Kasturba Nagar Association, said public attitudes towards waste remain a major barrier to change. She observed that awareness campaigns often fail to translate into sustained action, as institutional intent and individual commitment remain weak. Despite repeated discussions and sensitisation programmes, she said, implementation of solutions continues to lag.
Panellists concluded that India’s waste management challenges cannot be addressed through isolated initiatives alone and require coordinated efforts involving citizens, policymakers, researchers and private players to create durable, locally adapted systems.