Open Waste Burning Across India Adds to Carbon Emissions and Air Pollution

Field observations along the Srinagar-Gulmarg Road in Kashmir documented over 70 waste heaps along a 10-kilometre stretch, with clear evidence of regular burning including charred plastic and ash residue. Open burning of plastic and municipal waste across India is contributing to carbon emissions and toxic air pollution, yet remains underregulated and largely uncounted in official emission inventories.

Observations made during four trips along the Srinagar-Gulmarg Road between Narbal and Tangmarg between late 2025 and early 2026 found more than 70 scattered waste dumps, many showing signs of repeated burning. The 10-kilometre road corridor, which serves heavy tourist and vehicle traffic, exemplifies a pattern seen across Indian urban fringes and highways. Plastic waste, including snack packaging, fast-food wrappers and single-use containers, forms a significant proportion of the burned material.

Open waste burning releases a complex mixture of pollutants including carbon dioxide, methane, black carbon, dioxins and furans, many of which are not captured in India's official greenhouse gas inventories. Black carbon in particular has a significant near-term warming effect and poses serious respiratory and cardiovascular health risks. Studies estimate that waste burning could account for a substantial fraction of India's total air pollution burden, particularly in peri-urban and rural areas where waste collection infrastructure is absent.

Solid waste management reform, including universal waste collection, segregation infrastructure and alternatives to open dumping, is essential to curbing open burning at scale. India's Solid Waste Management Rules and Extended Producer Responsibility framework address some of these gaps, but enforcement at the local government level remains inconsistent. Climate and health advocates are calling for waste burning to be more systematically included in pollution monitoring and emission reporting frameworks.

Key figure — 70+ waste heaps observed along a single 10-kilometre stretch of Srinagar-Gulmarg Road