The book titled "Waste of a Nation" takes a look at the major problem of waste and sewage management in India in unprecedented depth, according to the statement released by ANU.
In his interview, PM Modi vowed to overcome waste to promote growth in India. He launched the Clean India Mission in 2014 accepting the fact that country’s poor history of managing rubbish is holding her back.
“If we want to improve the standard of living of the poor, one of the basic things to focus on is improving the sanitation and hygiene practices across the country,” Modi told the ANU researchers.
“Poor garbage management also has an adverse effect on tourism, and indirectly impacts the overall health of a city, and Impacts India’s image on the world stage,” he said.
The book is authored by Associate Professor Assa Doron, from the School of Culture, History and Language at the College of Asia and the Pacific and Emeritus Professor Robin Jeffrey from ANU.
Their research finds inadequate infrastructure is one of the leading causes of India’s inability to manage the estimated 52 million metric tons of waste it produces each year. “1.2 billion people churn through a lot of waste,” Dr Doron said. “Infrastructure is failing to deal with this because of under resourced local authorities. Half a billion people don’t have toilets and many are forced to defecate outdoors.”
In a media release, Dr Doron said he hoped Waste of a Nation would provide the analysis required for Indian policymakers to change how they are confronting waste management.
Dr Doron and Professor Jeffrey have been invited by the Indian Ambassador to the US to deliver a public Lecture on their book and findings at the embassy in Washington DC later this month, according to the ANU.
