Urban Solid Waste Management: Key Issues and Challenges

Abstract

Most of the cities and towns in India are plagued by the acute problems related to solid waste management (SWM). Municipal authorities provide conservancy services to the citizens and accordingly they are responsible for collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of solid waste. The solid waste management system needs improvement through introduction of source segregation of solid waste, door to door collection system, transfer station, improved transportation, composting of organic waste, energy recovery, value-based inorganic recycling, secured landfilling etc. Resource recovery through waste processing may partially solve the future land requirement problem of the municipalities. The SWM system should be established in a planned manner with provision of infrastructural facilities, funding and peoples’ participation. The municipalities should take up action plan to modernize SWM and ensure public participation.