You are the Municipal Commissioner of a large city, which has witnessed unprecedented increase in biomedical waste. Recently, 15 sanitation workers lost their lives and close to 100 have been seriously infected owing to this increase in waste. Apart from biomedical waste, the city is also facing a major problem in management of household waste. There is a view that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problems of the waste management sector. Despite the fact that the government has notified rules regarding disposal, collection and treatment of waste and has initiated numerous awareness campaigns in the past, still, the problem does not seem to be getting under control. In view of this, answer the following questions: (a) Identify the stakeholders and the significance of their involvement in addressing the issue. (b) In your opinion, what are the reasons behind apathy of people towards issues like waste disposal that affect the larger interests of the society? (c) As the Municipal Commissioner, suggest some practical techniques to bring about an attitudinal change among residents of the city towards this issue.

Stakeholders involved

(1) Municipal commission → Duty to protect public health, ensure proper waste management.

(2) Generator of Biowaste/creator like Hospitals/clinics → need to segregate waste at source and effective waste management.

(3) Sanitation Workers → Their Right to life under Article 21 is at stake. They are lynchpin of effective waste management.

(4) Common public → Duty to help authorities in proper waste management under Rules and for securing public health.

(5) Entrepreneurs → creating waste management centres etc.

Reasons behind neglect of waste disposal

(1) Historical causes → Aversion to touching impure things. (2) Low horizon of thinking (3) Lack of awareness about proper waste disposal. (4) Failure of municipal commission to collect waste → public behaviours of throwing waste. (5) Absence of fines and action taking mechanism (6) Self-centredness → people clean their home and dirty the city

Steps for bringing attitudinal change

(1) Social persuasion - Roping local leaders, doctors, religious leaders to emphasize cleanliness

(2) Rewards → Local RWA to be given funds to reward individual helping in cleanliness

(3) Awareness campaign about harmful diseases spreading through such waste

(4) Fines and punishment to individuals breaking rules to be published in newspaper

(5) Local volunteer networks to be created like Swacchagrahis to improve social proof technique.

(6) Highlighting successful efforts to create behavioural nudge

(7) Promoting cooperative individual/RWA to create bandwagon effect