MAINS Current Affairs includes Winter Waste Burning Worsens Urban Air Pollution & MHA Proposes New Chapter ‘K’ Under Article 371 For Ladakh

Environment

1. Winter Waste Burning Worsens Urban Air Pollution

Context: A recent report has highlighted that open waste burning increases substantially during winter, with both the quantity of waste burnt and the resulting emissions being up to three times higher than during summer.

• Paper and plastic waste form major components of the material that is openly burned.
• The practice adds to the existing burden of urban air pollution, particularly during winter when atmospheric conditions can also favour pollutant accumulation.

Reasons for Open Waste Burning

• Irregular Door-to-Door Waste Collection
  • Inconsistent municipal collection services can result in the accumulation of household and commercial waste.
  • Residents may resort to open burning when waste remains uncollected for extended periods.
• Limited Processing Capacity
  • Inadequate facilities for recycling, composting and scientific waste processing can lead to waste accumulation.
  • Lack of adequate processing infrastructure increases dependence on unsafe disposal practices.
• Cost and Convenience
  • Burning is often considered a quick, inexpensive and convenient method of getting rid of accumulated waste.
  • This is particularly common where formal waste-management systems are weak or inaccessible.
• Winter Heating
  • Open burning tends to increase during colder months because some economically vulnerable people use readily available waste as a source of warmth.
  • Materials such as paper, plastic and other combustible waste may consequently be burned in public spaces.
• Weak Enforcement of Rules
• Inadequate monitoring, enforcement and penalties allow repeated waste burning at:
  • Dumping sites
  • Roadsides
  • Vacant land
  • Other public spaces.

Impacts of Waste Burning

1. Environmental Impacts

• Air Pollution:
  • Open burning releases particulate matter and toxic pollutants, worsening urban air quality.
• Soil and Water Contamination:
  • Ash and toxic residues generated during combustion can contaminate soil and groundwater.
• Food-Chain Contamination:
  • Persistent toxic substances can enter ecosystems and accumulate in plants, animals and aquatic organisms, creating risks across the food chain.
• Ecosystem Damage:
  • Plastic residues and combustion by-products can adversely affect wildlife and aquatic ecosystems.
• Climate Impact:
  • Waste burning releases greenhouse gases and black carbon, contributing to climate change and atmospheric pollution.

2. Health Impacts

• Respiratory Problems:
• Exposure to smoke and particulate matter can cause:
  • Coughing
  • Breathing difficulties
  • Eye and respiratory irritation.
• Cardiovascular Effects:
• Prolonged exposure to air pollutants can increase the risk of cardiovascular and circulatory problems.
• Toxic Exposure:
• Burning mixed waste can release hazardous substances such as:
  • Dioxins
  • Heavy metals
  • Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
• Long-term exposure to these pollutants can have serious health consequences.
• Cancer Risk:
• Certain products of incomplete combustion, including some PAHs, are carcinogenic and can increase long-term cancer risks.

Government Initiatives

• CAQM Measures
• The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has identified recurring waste-dumping and burning locations as “waste-sensitive” sites.
• Under Operation Clean Air, a zero-tolerance approach has been adopted towards recurring waste burning and dumping.
• Waste-to-Energy
• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) provides Central Financial Assistance for Waste-to-Energy projects.
• Such projects seek to convert urban, industrial, agricultural and municipal waste into useful forms of energy, including:
  • Biogas
  • Bio-CNG
  • Electricity
  • Producer gas/syngas.
• Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana
• The Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN (Jaiv Indhan–Vatavaran Anukool fasal awashesh Nivaran) Yojana, launched by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, provides financial support for integrated bio-ethanol projects.
• It promotes the conversion of suitable biomass and agricultural residues into biofuel, thereby supporting better waste utilisation.
• Legal Measures
• The government has notified dedicated rules covering:
  • Solid waste
  • Plastic waste
  • Hazardous waste
  • E-waste
  • Battery waste
  • Biomedical waste.
• These regulatory frameworks seek to ensure scientific collection, processing and disposal of different waste streams.

Market-Based Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

• EPR places responsibility on producers for managing post-consumer waste associated with products such as:
• Plastic packaging
• Electronic waste
• Batteries
• Tyres
• Used oil.
• It encourages recycling, reduces pressure on landfills and helps curb emissions arising from informal and unsafe waste handling.

Ban on Single-Use Plastics

• India has prohibited 12 identified single-use plastic (SUP) items having low utility and high potential for littering.
• Examples include:
• Plastic cutlery
• Plastic straws
• Thermocol decorations.
• The measure aims to reduce the generation and improper disposal of problematic plastic waste.

Way Ahead

• Shift from Reactive Enforcement to Source-Level Prevention
• Cities need to move beyond responding to waste burning after it occurs.
• Priority should be given to:
  • Universal door-to-door collection
  • Source segregation
  • Decentralised waste processing
  • Systematic monitoring of waste-sensitive locations.
• Winter-Specific Waste-Management Plans
  • Municipalities should integrate winter waste-management strategies with air-pollution action plans.
  • Special attention should be given to economically vulnerable neighbourhoods where waste burning and dependence on waste for heating may be more prevalent.
• Provide Safe Heating Alternatives
  • Providing safe and affordable heating alternatives, particularly for sanitation and waste-management workers and economically vulnerable groups, can reduce dependence on waste burning for warmth.
• Strengthen Segregation and Recycling
  • Better source-level segregation, recycling and decentralised processing can reduce the quantity of combustible waste reaching dumping sites and public spaces.
• This addresses the problem at its source rather than relying solely on penalties after burning occurs.

Conclusion

Winter waste burning represents the intersection of poor solid-waste management, urban air pollution, public health and socio-economic vulnerability. Effective action therefore requires more than punitive enforcement. Universal waste collection, source segregation, decentralised processing, recycling, targeted winter plans and safe heating alternatives can address the root causes of the problem. A shift towards preventive and circular waste management can simultaneously improve urban air quality, protect public health and reduce environmental damage.

Polity & Governance

2. MHA Proposes New Chapter ‘K’ Under Article 371 For Ladakh

Context: Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) discussed a proposed Article 371(K) to provide Ladakh with constitutional safeguards and a directly elected governing body.

Why is Article 371 relevant to Ladakh?

• The proposed Article 371(K)would be significant because the existing Article 371 framework primarily provides special arrangements for States, whereas Ladakh is a Union Territory without a legislature.
• Thus, a new 371(K)could represent a sui generis constitutional model for Ladakh, potentially giving an elected UT-level body legislative powers over land, culture and language, forests, environment and natural resources.

Background: Why Does Ladakh Seek Safeguards?

• Ladakh was separated from Jammu and Kashmir and made a Union Territory (UT) without a legislature in August 2019.
• The absence of an elected Assembly led to growing political alienation while this initially generated enthusiasm in Leh.
• Ladakh had earlier been represented by four MLAs in the J&K Assembly, but its post-2019 administration has largely been bureaucratic.
• Concerns were further intensified by changes in domicile rules in Jammu and Kashmir, raising apprehensions regarding land, employment, demography and cultural identity.
• The UT has two Hill Councils i.e. the Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council and Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Councilbut they are not covered by the Sixth Schedule and have limited powers.
• The Leh Apex Body (LAB)and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have therefore demanded statehood, tribal status/Sixth Schedule protection and greater democratic control over land and infrastructure decisions.

What Has the Centre Proposed?

• The MHA has proposed a sui generis governance model under Article 371, through a new Chapter K. The proposed body would:
• be directly elected;
• possess legislative powers over land, culture and language, forests, environment and natural resources; and
• potentially legislate on other matters reserved for the UT under Article 240.
• The proposal follows an ‘in-principle understanding’reached during discussions in May and July 2026.
• However, the MHA has not yet provided a detailed draft. Representatives have consequently described the proposal as incomplete.

Key Unresolved Issues

• The major questions concern:
• Executive powersof the elected body;
• control over finances, budgets and planning;
• control over the bureaucracy;
• authority over police and law and order; and
• the extent of the Lieutenant Governor’s powers.
• Ladakh representatives have demanded that the L-G should not take major administrative, bureaucratic or land-related decisions until the new arrangement is finalised.

Sixth Schedule vs Article 371(K)

• The Sixth Schedule under Article 244provides constitutionally protected Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) with legislative, judicial and administrative powers over subjects including land, forests, water, agriculture, village councils, health, sanitation, inheritance, social customs and mining.
• It currently applies to tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura.
• The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) recommended in September 2019that Ladakh be brought under it, citing its overwhelmingly tribal population and distinct cultural heritage.
• However, no area outside the Northeast has so far been included in the Sixth Schedule.
• Article 371 and Articles 371-A to 371-Jprovide special arrangements for specific States.
• For instance, Article 371-Aprotects Naga customary practices, religious and social matters, and ownership/transfer of land and resources; similar protections exist for Mizoram under Article 371-G.

The proposed Article 371(K) would create a tailor-made UT-level constitutional arrangement, rather than simply extending the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh.

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