Defence
What is the full form of 'ISWM'?
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Answer: Option B — Integrated Solid Waste Management
Detailed Solution
ISWM stands for "Integrated Solid Waste Management", a comprehensive approach to managing solid waste in a sustainable way.
What ISWM means:
- It considers all stages of waste management together: generation, segregation, collection, transportation, processing, recovery and final disposal.
- It uses a combination of methods, chosen according to local conditions, rather than relying on a single method like dumping.
- It follows the "waste management hierarchy", which ranks options from most preferred to least preferred:
- Prevention and reduction (producing less waste).
- Reuse.
- Recycling and composting.
- Energy recovery (waste-to-energy).
- Disposal in sanitary landfills (least preferred).
- This is also expressed as the "3Rs": Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (sometimes extended to 5Rs or more).
- It considers environmental, social, economic, institutional and technical aspects, and involves all stakeholders, including citizens, municipalities, the private sector and informal waste pickers.
- The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has promoted the ISWM approach.
Solid waste management in India:
The "Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016" replaced the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000. They require segregation of waste at source into three categories: wet (biodegradable), dry (plastic, paper, metal) and domestic hazardous waste. Other waste rules: Plastic Waste Management Rules (2016), E-Waste (Management) Rules (2022), Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules (2016), and Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules (2016).
"Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0" (2021) aims to make all cities "Garbage Free" and to clean up old dumpsites ("legacy waste").
"Swachh Survekshan" (since 2016): an annual cleanliness survey of cities. Indore has been ranked the cleanest city many times in a row.
"Extended Producer Responsibility" (EPR) makes producers responsible for collecting and recycling their products after use, such as plastic packaging and electronics.
India generates about 1.6 lakh tonnes of municipal solid waste per day.
Related abbreviations:
- MSW: Municipal Solid Waste.
- EPR: Extended Producer Responsibility.
- MRF: Material Recovery Facility.
- WtE: Waste to Energy.
Why not the other options?
- ✗"Industrial Sewage and Water Management" is not the correct expansion.
- ✗"International Standard for Waste Monitoring" is not the correct expansion.
- ✗"Integrated Sanitation and Water Mission" is not the correct expansion.
Quick tip
Remember: ISWM = Integrated Solid Waste Management (waste hierarchy: reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, landfill last); Solid Waste Management Rules = 2016 (segregation at source); SBM-Urban 2.0 = 2021; Indore = cleanest city in Swachh Survekshan.
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