Bengaluru’s garment boom leaves toxic trail, 5000 tonnes of textile waste annually: Study
Bengaluru: Bengaluru, often hailed as the “garment capital” of India, is grappling with a mounting textile waste crisis, generating an estimated 5,000 tonnes of fabric waste each year, according to a new study by the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC).
The study, cited by Deccan Herald on Sunday, highlights a growing environmental concern linked to Bengaluru’s thriving garment sector, as the city struggles to manage the overwhelming volume of discarded clothes and fabric scraps, underscoring the urgent need for a shift towards a circular economy.
Researchers S. Manasi, Channamma Kambara, and Mrinalini Goswami identified the absence of a centralised textile waste database as a governance gap. Although agencies like the Department of Handlooms and Textiles (DHT) and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) maintain fragmented records, their focus is limited to regulatory compliance rather than holistic waste management.
This approach has left a large portion of the issue unaddressed. While large export-oriented factories typically manage their textile waste more systematically, the same cannot be said for thousands of small-scale tailoring units and local shops. These smaller players often dispose of fabric scraps alongside regular trash, worsening the burden on an already strained waste system.
The ISEC study also traced the post-disposal journey of collected textile waste. Around 40% is sent to recycling hubs like Tiruppur and Panipat, while another 20% is downcycled locally into items such as mattresses and soft toys. However, these products have a short lifespan, usually under a decade, after which they are burned or end up in landfills, contributing to pollution.
One of the most alarming findings is the unsegregated mixing of hazardous industrial cotton waste with general garbage, leading to toxic emissions when the waste is burned. The study points out the high environmental cost of this linear model, noting that over 75% of waste is burnt, releasing toxic emissions.
Meanwhile, a large share of the labour involved in waste sorting is handled by informal sector workers, predominantly women. The report notes that these workers operate in unsafe conditions, lacking protective gear, basic facilities, and social support.
The report calls for a national textile waste management policy and the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks, which would hold manufacturers accountable for the lifecycle of their products.
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PM Modi, myself don't have 'wife issue': Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): In a friendly banter, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he didn’t have "the wife issue", as the Congress MP emphasised that everyone has learnt from women in their lives.
Participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha on the three bills introduced for amendments to the women's quota law and setting up a delimitation commission, Gandhi said women are a driving force in the national imagination and national perspective.
"All of us in this room have been influenced, taught, and have learnt a lot from women in our lives – from mothers, sisters, wives," Gandhi said.
"Of course, the prime minister and myself don't have the wife issue, so we don't get that input, but we have our mothers and sisters," he said while referring to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju's light-hearted remark that he got a scolding at home as he did not pen a poem for his wife like Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal did.
Gandhi also lauded his sister and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi's speech in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
"Yesterday, I was watching my sister achieve in five minutes what I have not been able to do in 20 years of my political career – make Amit Shah Ji smile," Gandhi said to peals of laughter.
