Graphic Reflections

Look closely at any city street drain in India and chances are you will see litter in it. Drains in India—meant to channelise rain water and some even to divert rainwater to rainwater harvesting pits—end up becoming extended litter bins some of which are not cleaned for months. People find it very convenient to toss waste in drains and sweepers find it easier dump collected waste in the closest drain than to carry it to the nearest municipal waste bin. Flooding of streets in India after heavy rains is often attributed to drains clogged with litter and many clogged drains end up becoming puddles where mosquitoes breed. Street drains in India (well, look at it positively or negatively), seem to perform at least one more role than they were meant to!

This photograph of cows on a heap of garbage was taken at a busy street in Old Delhi, in March 2008. A sight like this, not uncommon in any city in India, could act as a reminder that India needs to address its problem of waste urgently. It shows that organic and inorganic waste is not segregated in India, that waste often lies like this at dumps for days creating serious health risks for those living nearby and more importantly, that the problem of waste disposal in India is largely ignored. One can’t even begin to count the number of big and small polybags and pieces of plastic this heap would contain and how many of them the cows would ingest! One could go on and on about the ills of such a sight…

One significant difference between developed and developing countries lies in the way they manage their garbage (I am specifically referring to municipal solid waste here). Several developed countries have strict rules and proceedures in place regarding garbage disposal and violators are fined heavily. Proper management of grabage is a strong indicator of a responsible and developed society. To become a developed country in that sense, India has a long way to go. Today, in India, there is an urgent need of strict garbage disposal rules, proceedures and related education. (Bottom right photograph: garbage collection in Sweden. Photographer: Niklas Johnsson, curtesy Stock Xchng. Top left photograph: garbage collection bin outside a South Delhi neighbourhood.)

Based on a famous poster by Pentagram for the Napoli ‘99 Foundation, this typographical graphic tries to portray India as a modern, forward looking and varied country, but one whose physical appearance is often overshadowed by the omnipresence of litter and garbage, never allowing the country to ’shine’.

Based on the Do Not Litter symbol often found on food packaging, this graphic attempts to portray the ‘wastebin-like’ treatment given to India by a majority of its citizens (educated or uneducated), as if the country is a large trash-bin. People littler almost anywhere or everywhere in India; their littering habit perhaps also reflects their lack of interest in the upkeep of their own country….