Stop the waste from burying us: State or society is usually blamed, but let’s look upstream at producers of waste

February 6, 2018
Article

Share

You cannot walk or drive more than a few metres in any Indian city without encountering mounds of rubbish. Even in our villages, you will find garbage billowing around fields, piling up along roads or even lining the forest floor. At many beaches, you are as likely to find your toes tickled by strands of plastic as by little fish.
It is no longer possible to look away.
India’s waste problem is gigantic, and with its economy growing steadily, it will be compounded manifold. Yet, our waste stream management has not even got off the ground.

You may also want to read

March 24, 2026
Others

Press Release | Supported by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, a New Public Observation Tower Project Planned at Bannerughatta Biological Park, Bengaluru

Through a grant of INR 5 Crore, the project aims to enhance visitor experience and increase conservation awareness, and visitor engagement  Bengaluru, March 24, 2026 — Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies (RNPF)[...]

February 28, 2026
Article

IE | Rohini Nilekani writes: Indian philanthropy can step in to mitigate climate disasters’ effects

Whether in education, healthcare, skill building, agriculture or any other sector, there are severe climate adjacencies that will have to be addressed urgently. Philanthropy can provide both the high-risk capital[...]

February 25, 2026
Interview

Fortune India | Disaster management demands new thinking: Rohini Nilekani

Climate-related disasters are no longer one-off incidents. While one hears about havoc caused by cyclones, floods and landslides during monsoons every year, extreme heat during summers has become a way[...]