Shakthi Sampathkumar

Middle School Finalist, Grade 6
Mountain House, CA

Broken Waste Management Chain in Rural Communities

In the quiet village of Nanguneri (Tirunelveli) in Tamil Nadu, the edges of the town and its rivers are littered with trash dumped by both tourists and locals. 

Imagine a young boy growing up in this village. Over time, toxic fumes spread and life struggles to thrive. Nearby plants wilt and are suffocated by trash. The water becomes toxic and nearly deadly for both natives and wildlife. One day, as the boy wanders near the river, he takes a handful of water and washes his face, unaware of the hidden danger. 

Who is responsible? Is it the tourists? Or the local people? The truth is, both share the responsibility. 

While driving through towns and villages near Tirunelveli, Tamil  Nadu, I was shocked to see trash everywhere. The rivers were choked with trash and trees had bags hanging on them. What surprised me even more was realizing that this is not an isolated problem - it is happening in villages across India. 

Deadly and Toxic: A Major Issue In India 

The problem is that rural waste management has gaps. In many places, rural administrations collect the trash, but it is dumped in open fields, land, or watershed areas instead of being

processed. In other places, villagers simply dispose of their trash on unclaimed land or even on another farmer’s property. 

According to the Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group  (CAG), nearly 90% of small villages in India dispose of their waste in open areas such as vegetation, drains, and farmlands.  This disposal harms not only the environment but also animals that contact the waste. 

The Government's Efforts and Remaining Challenges 

This issue has been a problem that the Indian government has tried to solve over time. The government’s past efforts faced challenges; in many villages, they collected the trash that the villagers dispose of and took it to the outskirts or open land anddumped it. 

According to research by IDinsight, “assessing rural waste  disposal, investigators found that because local authorities  lacked processing plants, sanitation workers and pit-cleaners  frequently deposited collected village waste into empty fields,  unclaimed open lands, or agricultural land.” 

Initiatives like Swachh Bharat Mission Phase II aim to improve the rural Waste Management System. While these initiatives have made progress, they are still not sufficient to address the scale of the problem across India’s vast rural regions. 

The Right Solution: Reduce, Compost, and Recycle

What can we do to solve this problem? 

The first step is to separate waste into trash, compost, and recyclables. Next, villages should establish a waste collection system by partnering with a regional waste aggregator. 

Neighboring villages can work together to create a shared waste management system. They can establish a waste collection site where waste is temporarily stored. Once the site reaches capacity, regional waste aggregators can transport the waste to an authorized processing or disposal facility. 

A rural waste management system should include the  following steps: 

● Establish source segregation at the household level.

 ● Formalize door-to-door collection utilizing regional waste aggregators. 

● Set up composting centers for organic waste. 

● Increase enforcement and oversight from local rural governments and district governments. 

From the USA, we can spread awareness and find more technology innovations for micro-waste management systems. 

Ultimately, transforming rural India's landscape from a dumping ground into a clean and sustainable environment requires a shared commitment from both residents, local governments,  and regional authorities. By reducing waste, composting

materials, recycling items, and properly disposing of the remaining trash, villages can protect their land, rivers, wildlife,  and the health of future generations.