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Wasted
PRAISE FOR WASTED ‘This book enhances our understanding of the historical issues that have plagued India’s sanitation challenge. A must read for those who are interested in the important agenda of a clean environment for all’ NAINA LAL KIDWAI, Chair, India-Sanitation Coalition ‘Despite the clarion call by our Prime Minister, Indian society still lacks clarity on the nature of the desirable solution for sanitation. Wasted is a serious attempt at pointing out possibilities and solutions. Written lucidly and in a narrative style; it provides an inspiring peek of a clean future. A much-needed book for our times’ DR RAJIV KUMAR, Vice Chairman, Niti Aayog ‘Wasted advocates that the handling of waste in India requires the finest management and developmental architecture. The book remarkably delves into the depth and breadth of the problem of yesterday and today and presents it as a free-flowing storytelling’ MARTIN MACWAN, Dalit human rights activist ‘Wasted locates India’s missed opportunities in sanitation in its complex civilizational legacy; its comfort with caste, informality and child labour; and in its appalling local governance systems. Necessary reading for every policy maker, town planner and engaged urban citizen.’ HARSH MANDER, author and activist ‘Wasted addresses India’s complex caste-driven perception of waste. It traces the illogic of our constant discontent with modes of disposal, while being deliberately blind to socio-political processes behind its creation. This book must be read by all concerned Indians’ ARUNA ROY, socio-political activist and Magsaysay Award winner (2000) ‘India is not working on the science needed towards the management of pollution that it emits in the name of development. Therefore, even well-intentioned projects do not yield results. This book can be an entry point to understanding the process to reduce use of nature and to rejuvenate nature for our sustainable future’ DR RAJENDRA SINGH, environmentalist and Magsaysay Award winner (2001) ABOUT THE BOOK Urban India generates close to 3 million trucks of untreated garbage every day. If these were laid end-to-end, one could reach half way to the moon. The need for attention to sanitation and cleanliness is both urgent and long-term. This book takes an honest look into India’s perpetual struggle with these issues and suggests measures to overcome them. Historically, we have developed into a society with a skewed mindset towards sanitation with our caste system and non-accountability towards sanitation. Through stories, anecdotes and analysis of events, this book seeks solutions to the current entangled problems of urban planning, governance and legislation, and institutional and human capacity building. Wasted traces interesting relationships between urban planning and dirty cities in India; legislative and governance lacunae and the rising height of open landfills; the informality of waste management methods, and the degrading health of Indian rivers, soil and air. Arguing that all current solutions of India are extrapolated from these flawed beliefs and structures and are therefore woefully inadequate, Bisen draws a benchmark from clean countries of today. Underlining the need for inclusive human clusters, specificity in legislation, correction of existing social contracts and governance frameworks, creating a formal resource recovery industry in India, and the pursuit of diplomacy around this industry, this book shows how these solutions could lead us towards a brighter future and better social development.
- GenresNonfiction
539 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 22, 2019
18 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 5, 2019
I found the book interesting and informative. I would highly recommend this book, personally a lot of details were an eye opener for me. The author has traced the issue of waste in India to the origins. Gives a good perspective of why the issue exists in the first place and why it has become such an intractable problem.
I was hesitant at first to start reading because often times (important) topic like these ends up being boring. Not this one, the author has taken a complex subject and has addressed it in a very engaging style. And the topic is so relevant I hope some of our policy makers read the book. It is a long read but very well written.
I was hesitant at first to start reading because often times (important) topic like these ends up being boring. Not this one, the author has taken a complex subject and has addressed it in a very engaging style. And the topic is so relevant I hope some of our policy makers read the book. It is a long read but very well written.
January 28, 2020
The book is an amazing read and it touches such an important topic in India today about Waste Management, every where there is trash and ‘this book addresses this burning issue.
The book is a tough read, as it swings between being text bookish to story telling.
I strongly recommend reading it
The book is a tough read, as it swings between being text bookish to story telling.
I strongly recommend reading it
October 26, 2019
The author of Wasted recently published by McMillan, Ankur Bisen has years of experience as management consultant. It is evident that the author has researched (references provided for each chapter) and combined his passion to address India’s sanitation problems and possible solutions.
As an educator in higher education, I initiate discussion on a topic with questions (I pose some and the students come up with most). The objective is to use the questions to guide the discussion to update knowledge and find answers. The author initiated the writing with well defined, however, simple questions like “Do humans have the instinct to appreciate a clean environment?” ”How do they respond to dirty surroundings?” “Why are many Indian homes spotlessly clean, but the surroundings disgustingly dirty?”
The World Bank links one in ten deaths in India to poor sanitation. In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly recognized the right to sanitation ‘essential for full enjoyment of life and all human rights’. India has voted in favor of the UN resolution. The intersection of water scarcity, food security, and a changing climate on top of it all raises a suite of water concerns that urgently need to be addressed.
The author has thoughtfully brought in the comparison of Thames Water Plc. in UK and National Mission of Clean Ganga (NMCG) highlighting the ethics, lack of transparency, confusion and misguided approach toward sanitation in India.
The author has given a historical aspect of caste system in India, post independence selection priorities of issues by the local, state and central governments, Dalit politics, to the twenty-first century claim to be the global leader.
Despite constitutional mandates and official proclamation, India has lagged behind among others in the most important concerns for the sanitary well being. There is a need for an organizational design in the governance framework and current process of sanitation. This can be achieved by creating and implementing a reference point of a desired state of cleanliness in the society. The author opined that though law can come in as a facilitator of change, for it to be truly effective and deliver on its mandate, the desire of the people must always remains the supreme consideration. The example of Mawlynnnong, a village in the East Khasi Hills of the Meghalaya State in North East India best tells that it is possible to attain the cleanliness. Yes, India can do it!
Longer droughts in the Middle East, growing desertification in China and Africa, shrinking of monsoon season in India, more intense hurricanes reaching America, water wars in the Horn of Africa, refugees and starving children across the globe are not disconnected events.
This book has honestly discussed that diminishing or eliminating of waste is the main driver of implementing sustainable development in business. It enables recycling, efficient usage of natural resources, allows businesses to save funds and improve life quality.
This book is for those who question what it means to live and love sustainably, and maybe even with hope.
The author concluded that “India’s barometer to measure its cleanliness standards will need to be zero mortality in sanitation jobs, complete eradication of child labor from waste management sector, 100% recycling of waste water, piped sewage connection in every home, expenditure on environment for sanitation, complete shift of bipartisan political sponsorship, recharged water tables and moreover community participation to effectively claim its role to be the global leader.
I suggest that the book can be used as part of high school/college level reading. Students can work in groups to raise questions and try finding possible solutions. That way, future generation of citizens will become aware of the problem and be more engaged by practicing effective measures and also providing clues to all the stakeholders including political think tanks and lawmakers, the industries and management groups on sanitation - initiating a movement with far reaching impact.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading WASTED - no I did not waste my time and energy - it has enriched my understanding of the problem and the possible approach to both short term and long term solutions!
As an educator in higher education, I initiate discussion on a topic with questions (I pose some and the students come up with most). The objective is to use the questions to guide the discussion to update knowledge and find answers. The author initiated the writing with well defined, however, simple questions like “Do humans have the instinct to appreciate a clean environment?” ”How do they respond to dirty surroundings?” “Why are many Indian homes spotlessly clean, but the surroundings disgustingly dirty?”
The World Bank links one in ten deaths in India to poor sanitation. In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly recognized the right to sanitation ‘essential for full enjoyment of life and all human rights’. India has voted in favor of the UN resolution. The intersection of water scarcity, food security, and a changing climate on top of it all raises a suite of water concerns that urgently need to be addressed.
The author has thoughtfully brought in the comparison of Thames Water Plc. in UK and National Mission of Clean Ganga (NMCG) highlighting the ethics, lack of transparency, confusion and misguided approach toward sanitation in India.
The author has given a historical aspect of caste system in India, post independence selection priorities of issues by the local, state and central governments, Dalit politics, to the twenty-first century claim to be the global leader.
Despite constitutional mandates and official proclamation, India has lagged behind among others in the most important concerns for the sanitary well being. There is a need for an organizational design in the governance framework and current process of sanitation. This can be achieved by creating and implementing a reference point of a desired state of cleanliness in the society. The author opined that though law can come in as a facilitator of change, for it to be truly effective and deliver on its mandate, the desire of the people must always remains the supreme consideration. The example of Mawlynnnong, a village in the East Khasi Hills of the Meghalaya State in North East India best tells that it is possible to attain the cleanliness. Yes, India can do it!
Longer droughts in the Middle East, growing desertification in China and Africa, shrinking of monsoon season in India, more intense hurricanes reaching America, water wars in the Horn of Africa, refugees and starving children across the globe are not disconnected events.
This book has honestly discussed that diminishing or eliminating of waste is the main driver of implementing sustainable development in business. It enables recycling, efficient usage of natural resources, allows businesses to save funds and improve life quality.
This book is for those who question what it means to live and love sustainably, and maybe even with hope.
The author concluded that “India’s barometer to measure its cleanliness standards will need to be zero mortality in sanitation jobs, complete eradication of child labor from waste management sector, 100% recycling of waste water, piped sewage connection in every home, expenditure on environment for sanitation, complete shift of bipartisan political sponsorship, recharged water tables and moreover community participation to effectively claim its role to be the global leader.
I suggest that the book can be used as part of high school/college level reading. Students can work in groups to raise questions and try finding possible solutions. That way, future generation of citizens will become aware of the problem and be more engaged by practicing effective measures and also providing clues to all the stakeholders including political think tanks and lawmakers, the industries and management groups on sanitation - initiating a movement with far reaching impact.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading WASTED - no I did not waste my time and energy - it has enriched my understanding of the problem and the possible approach to both short term and long term solutions!
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December 8, 2019I hear "Clean India" every day, but it is so difficult to understand where things really are..
I picked this book up to get a better handle on this topic. It provided a well researched, no bullshit view on critical, relevant and high priority aspects, and it helped me build a strong mental model (without having to travel through each and every village!). Some questions that it helped answer:
Why waste and its disposal is an issue now (vs before)? What about air quality? How does India's evolution and effectiveness of waste management differ from that of other countries? Where did we culturally diverge/miss out on the best practices? How do our demographic composition and social evils affect our ability to manage waste effectively? What are the relevant and high priority aspects to address to make the most impact? How could one go about it?
I picked this book up to get a better handle on this topic. It provided a well researched, no bullshit view on critical, relevant and high priority aspects, and it helped me build a strong mental model (without having to travel through each and every village!). Some questions that it helped answer:
Why waste and its disposal is an issue now (vs before)? What about air quality? How does India's evolution and effectiveness of waste management differ from that of other countries? Where did we culturally diverge/miss out on the best practices? How do our demographic composition and social evils affect our ability to manage waste effectively? What are the relevant and high priority aspects to address to make the most impact? How could one go about it?
November 9, 2019
Wasted’ is a thoroughly researched and a very well written book that explores one of the most critical and least addressed issue of sanitation which is directly responsible for many major decease , water and air pollution. The author has very comprehensively explained the issue, its causes , consequences and measures need to be taken towards a clean India. We all are aware of this issue in bits and pieces but this book brings all related things under one umbrella in a very systematic and methodical manner . An eye-opener, this book makes you do some serious thinking about the quagmire towards which we are heading at very fast speed.
October 22, 2019
“Wasted” is a very well-researched compilation and touches important aspects of massive sanitation and waste management problem in India. This book is relevant and contributes to a better understanding of what all led to this problem getting enormous and how it can be tackled. It's a must read whoever wishes and is working towards a cleaner and better environment in the present Indian scenario.
Zakir Khan, Los Angeles
Zakir Khan, Los Angeles
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews