Despite a bevy of regulations on waste management, bans on single-use plastic and mandates for sewage and effluent treatment, plastic and medical contaminants continue to find their way into rivers, lakes and oceans, exposing glaring gaps in enforcement and monitoring mechanisms.
Experts and officials warn that while governments have launched initiatives such as Operation Blue Plastic, Blue Flag Beaches and beach-cleaning campaigns, implementation on the ground remains patchy. As a result, plastic waste, microplastics and even pharmaceutical residues are increasingly being detected in aquatic ecosystems and entering the food chain.
An official associated with the National Green Tribunal (NGT), requesting anonymity, said the Supreme Court has referred several cases relating to water pollution and poor waste management to the tribunal in recent years. “There are drastic gaps in waste disposal. Land-based waste is ending up in rivers, estuaries and eventually the sea. Significant quantities of microplastic granules are now visible along coastlines and in coastal waters extending several kilometres from the shore,” the official said.
According to the official, ghost nets and discarded fishing gear have emerged as another major concern, with fishermen in many areas often hauling in more plastic waste than fish. “There is no shortage of rules and orders. The problem is that implementation remains weak,” he added, suggesting that efforts to tackle plastic and medical waste pollution should receive greater priority. The problem is no longer confined to visible plastic waste. Experts point to the growing presence of pharmaceutical contaminants, including residues of diclofenac, insulin, painkillers and antibiotics, in water bodies.
Prof T V Ramachandra of the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, said existing sewage treatment plants (STPs) and effluent treatment plants (ETPs) were not designed to remove such pollutants.
“Their presence is increasing because of poor waste management by municipal and medical authorities. The current treatment systems are unable to effectively process these contaminants. Modernising them will involve significant costs,” he said.
Officials from pollution control agencies acknowledge that implementation challenges persist. A senior official from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) admitted that compliance with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) provisions has weakened in several cases.
“The amendments to the Solid Waste Management Rules changed the way waste collection responsibilities are implemented. In many places, enforcement has suffered and plastic waste continues to accumulate in villages and near water bodies,” the official said. Environmental groups argue that reliance on clean-up drives alone cannot address the problem.
Vivek Alva, Managing Trustee of Alva’s Education Foundation, said the organisation has been conducting coastal clean-up drives in Karnataka for over a decade to create awareness and encourage responsible waste disposal. “Plastic bottles remain a major problem, but we are also finding diapers, sanitary waste and liquor bottles in large quantities. Shores can be cleaned only if villages, towns and cities are kept clean,” he said. The challenge is even greater in island ecosystems.
Garima Poonia, founder of Kachrewala Foundation in the Andaman Islands, said restrictions on small beverage bottles introduced in 2019 have helped reduce some forms of waste. However, growing tourism and increasing waste generation continue to put pressure on fragile coastal environments, she said.
