Waste management is a big challenge worldwide and it becomes even more challenging for islands due to their isolated geography. Solid waste management  emerged as a priority issue in the Andaman Islands when Dakshin conducted its health and environmental needs scoping study in 2019. The proper management of waste on land is also essential for preserving the delicate marine and coastal ecosystems, upon which different communities depend for fishing or tourism. 

The SeaChange team has been working actively with the Wandoor Gram Panchayat in South Andaman to systematically tackle the issue as well as increase the reach and efficiency of the solid waste management (SWM) system currently in place. We assessed to understand the current gaps and challenges in the SWM system by speaking to different stakeholders like Panchayat representatives, sanitation workers, representatives of government departments (Forest, Rural Development, and Tourism), community-based organizations, households, and business owners. The assessment has allowed us to develop an in-depth understanding of the waste management system on the ground and the challenges which emerge at different levels.  While on one side, the SWM system is understaffed and unable to expand its services to the entire Panchayat, the system is further burdened by faulty equipment such as waste collection cart, baling machine, and incinerator.  We also understood the importance of facilitating more dialogue among community members about their role in the waste management system. Segregating waste at the source greatly reduces the work burden on the sanitation workers and increases the amount of waste which can be sent for recycling. The assessment has provided us with a roadmap to increase the efficiency of the system with different stakeholders. 

In collaboration with the Wandoor Gram Panchayat, the Forest Department and the sanitation workers, we have organized several community events on SWM reaching out to more than 600 individuals since October 2022. We conducted five ward-level discussions focussed on understanding the effects of improper waste management on human health and the environment. Also, we discussed the responsibilities of community members in ensuring the SWM system runs efficiently. To emphasize and increase awareness of the need for segregating waste, we have developed different games. We have designed and installed multiple information boards on both the beaches of Wandoor along with dustbins. We invited community members for a clean-up drive at North Wandoor Beach along with the installation of the information boards and dustbins to increase collective ownership over waste management from different stakeholders, especially the youth of the area. We also organized a workshop for sensitizing the staff of the Forest Department, lifeguards tour guides and shop owners of the New Wandoor beach to increase their engagement in waste management at the beach.  Waste management at beaches is both an ecological and economic issue as the livelihood of many people in Wandoor depends on the tourists visiting the beach. 

To streamline the issues in the SWM system we are regularly engaging with the Gram Panchayat and the sanitation supervisor. These discussions have resulted in the Panchayat taking several proactive steps towards improving the system such as instituting regular meetings for streamlining the challenges on ground and expanding waste collection to North Wandoor Beach. The Panchayat is now planning to enforce on-spot fines for littering and improper waste disposal in the village and charging parking fees at the beaches to increase the revenue available to run the system.

While we plan to continue working with the Gram Panchayat on improving the system on the ground, the assessment has shed light on numerous systemic and infrastructural challenges which need collaborative action between multiple government departments to resolve. In this direction, we have taken the learnings from our assessment and held discussions with the heads of the Rural Development Department, Forest Department, Tourism Department and the Deputy Commissioner of South Andaman. We are hopeful that with our engagement, we can see meaningful actions from the administration to address these challenges and ensure that the waste management system in the Wandoor is running efficiently.  As many of these issues affect Panchayats across the Islands, the successful solutions and interventions at Wandoor can be scaled up to other Gram Panchayats with the help of the administration.