India needs to increase its waste management capacity and ensure universal access to disposal to tackle rising plastic pollution, according to the founder of The Ocean Cleanup, a Netherlands-based non-profit that develops technologies to remove plastic waste from the oceans. The organisation has announced an initiative to deploy barriers on the Trombay and Malad waterways in Mumbai to stop plastic from reaching the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. The deployment is scheduled before the arrival of the monsoon season and aims to intercept debris close to source points.

The barriers are expected to collect at least 62 tonnes (t) per year once fully operational. The devices will be modular and placed like LEGO pieces, while some sites will use excavators and others will use conveyor belts to remove accumulated waste. The structures have been designed to withstand heavy monsoon rains and to give cities time to improve long term disposal systems.

A 2024 study published in Nature found that India is the world’s biggest contributor to plastic pollution, accounting for nearly 20 per cent of global plastic waste. The country generates nine point three million (mn) tonnes (t) of plastic waste annually, of which three point five mn t are mismanaged and leak into the environment each year. Limited access to collection systems and rapid population growth have been cited as drivers that prevent waste management systems from keeping pace with consumption.

Marine plastic pollution threatens food safety, human health and coastal economies and can damage mangroves and coral reefs. Collected waste will be sorted by material and recyclability to minimise residues that cannot be repurposed, and kilogram (kg) is used on first reference. Mumbai was chosen because surveys indicate it releases about five mn kg of plastic into the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean annually, affecting 220 km of coastline, 152 sq km of mangroves, 107 protected species and nearly one point nine mn livelihoods. The organisation plans to expand the approach to other coastal cities and expressed optimism that improved collection and prosperity will reduce visible pollution.