“Challenges of megacities and possible solutions” – that’s what it says in the geography curriculum for grade 12. How can more than 10 million people live together in a densely populated space? And what happens, for example, to the roughly 13,000 tons of solid waste that New Delhi produces every single day? What better way to explore the issue than by seeing it firsthand, especially since we live in a megacity ourselves?
Originally, a field trip for grades 10 to 12 was planned to one of the city's three massive landfill sites in Bhalswa, Ghazipur, or Okhla – places where the waste problem becomes visible and unmistakable, not just to the eye but also to the nose. However, visiting these sites requires official permission, and some of the fumes pose health risks. Thanks to the support of Katharina Paterok from GIZ, we were able to visit Delhi’s first Zero Waste Colony instead – a small-scale solution that offers a glimpse of hope.
In Navjeevan Vihar, all 250 households reliably separate their waste, which is then collected by three sanitation workers on bicycles, each using separate containers. A crucial step in the process is the composting of so-called “wet waste” – which, according to Dr. Ruby Makhija, makes up 60% of Indian household waste. Without composting, this organic waste ends up in landfills, where it decomposes and releases methane, a highly harmful greenhouse gas. The final product is odorless compost, which residents can collect and use in their gardens. In addition, the colony accepts usable items, offers crates and benches made from recycled plastic, and sells eco-friendly recycled paper.
Our takeaway? A cotton shopping bag, three big bags of compost for the school – and the clear message that waste reduction starts small, and it starts with us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=astag10OjGk
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