Back to resources

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

Climate & Biodiversity | Feb 6, 2018

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.

View PDF

More like this

Civil Society  |  Climate & Biodiversity  |  Strategic Philanthropy  |  Water  |  COVID-19

Resilience, Hope: India in the Time of COVID-19 & Climate Change

This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani in conversation with Jairam Ramesh (former Minister for Environment and Forests) and Navroz Dubash (Professor at the Centre for Policy Research). Moderated by Barkha Dutt, New Worlds is a three-part digital series by the India Climate Collaborative to discuss resilience and recovery in the face of our […]
May 9, 2020 |

Climate & Biodiversity

Close Encounters of the Karia Kind - Rohini Nilekani's sequel to "Romancing the Black Panther"

After five years of trying to spot the elusive black panther – Karia – of the Kabini forest, Rohini finally finds it. But where? And what happens next? In Part 2 of the talk ‘Romancing the Black Panther’ Rohini Nilekani completes her story about her quest for the black panther, and how it brings her […]
Apr 9, 2021 |

Climate & Biodiversity

Kabini:A Heritage to Conserve

The Japanese have long propagated the joys of Shinrin-Yoku, or ‘forest bathing’, as a meditative practice, especially for urbanites. I was very lucky to spend a few days in the Kabini forest, just before the parks closed. Though partially work-related, it was my most healing experience since the pandemic emerged. The forest was lush green, […]
Jul 22, 2020 |

Climate & Biodiversity

Rohini Nilekani On The Pleasures Of Being In Nature

This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s interview on the Bird Podcast hosted by Shoba Narayan. They discuss Rohini’s favourite birds and why conserving nature is an “enlightened self-interest” for humanity as a whole. Since I was born and brought up in Mumbai, the only birds we saw were crows, sparrows, and sometimes parakeets. […]
Apr 25, 2021 |