Resource Efficient Waste Management: Proceedings of 5th IconSWM 2015

Resource Efficient International Society of

Waste Management Waste Management,
Air and Water
Homepage: www.iswmaw.com & iconswm.com
ISWMAW

Sustainable  Municipal  Solid  Waste  Management  in  India:  A  Policy 

Agenda  
 

Shyamala Mani1, Satpal Singh2 
1
Professor, National Institute of Urban Affairs, Core 4‐B, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India 
2
Urban  Sociologist  and  Research  Analyst,  National  Institute  of  Urban  Affairs,  Core  4‐B,  India  Habitat 
Centre, Lodhi 
* Corresponding Author: E‐mail: [email protected] 
 
ABSTRACT Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) has emerged as a big challenge not
 
only because of the health and environmental concerns but also due to huge quantities of waste
  generated.It is observed from many research documents that most urban local bodies (ULBs) in
India are unableto handle suchhuge quantities of solid waste due to financial and institutional
debilities. Furthermore, ULBs rarely have sufficient funds, resources, infrastructure and
appropriate strategies for improved solid waste management. Segregation of waste, door to door
waste collection, technologies for the treatment of waste, land resources and scientific disposal
methods are some of the major challenges.Recognizing these challenges, the two ministries of
Government of India namely Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Ministry of
Urban Development (MoUD) have initiated several policies and programmes to improve the
current scenario of MSWM in India. Environment Ministry had promulgatedthe Municipal Solid
Waste Management Rules in2000 which is now being revamped as Solid Waste Management Rules
2015 while the MoUD has prepared a draft manual on MSWMto support cities and towns on
planning and implementing a proper MSWM system in line with the SWM Rules being
promulgated in 2015. It is observed that many policies and programmes fail to achieve their
objectives due to lack of clarity and awareness among the stakeholders and poor enforcement by
the regulators. The present paper provides a comprehensive view of SWM and most importantly
highlights some major points of the policies/programmes initiated by the Government of India to
overcome the challenges of solid waste management in our country.

Keywords: Segregation of waste, Treatment of waste, Land resources.

Introduction The increasing trends in per capita waste

generation puts immense pressure on urban
Rapid urbanization, urban growth and economic local bodies (ULBs) who are mandated to
development have not only changed the physical provide this service in India. It is observed from
size of the cities but is also exerting significant the recent research that most ULBs are unable
additional pressure on the infrastructural to handle such huge quantities of solid waste
services across Indian cities. India is due to financial and institutional debilities.
experiencing high urbanization, currently 31 While, daily collection efficiency is around 50-
percent as per Census 2011, contributing to 11 60 percent and 90 percent in few ULBs, only 10
percent of the world population and having 53 percent of the collected waste receives treatment
metropolitan cities which may jump to 87 in and virtually nothing is scientifically disposed
2031. Urban growth is phenomenal and in engineered landfills(NIUA, 2013). Indian
important for the development of the country but cities are facing the problem of limited
unbridled growth may present a glimpse of availability of land for waste disposal especially
chequered pockets of ghettos and high class in large cities. Furthermore, the ULBs rarely
areas (Gupta, 2015). These factors influence have sufficient funds, resources, infrastructure
consumption rates that accelerate waste and appropriate strategies which have resulted
generation and change waste composition. in poor collection, transportation, treatment and

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safe disposal of solid waste. Section 1: Current Scenario ofMunicipal

Solid Waste Management
Recognizing these challenges, the Indian Solid waste management includes managing
government and key stakeholders have been activities associated with collection,
deliberating upon mechanisms and transportation, treatment and disposal of solid
arrangements to facilitate compliance of ULBs waste in an environmentally compatible manner
with requirements for treatment and safe with due consideration of the principles of
disposal of solid waste (MoUD, n.a). The two economy, aesthetics, energy and conservation.
ministries of Government of India namely, the These activities are briefly discussed in the
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate following section:
Change (MEF&CC) and the Ministry of Urban
Development (MoUD) have initiated several 1.1 Municipal solid waste generation
policies and programmes to improve the current
scenario of solid waste management (SWM) According to the Central Pollution Control
system in India. The Environment Ministry had Board (2015), India generated1,43,449 tons per
promulgated the Municipal Solid Waste day (TPD)of municipal solid waste during
Management Rules in 2000 which is now being 2014-15, with an average waste generation of
revamped as Solid Waste Management Rules 0.11 kg/capita/day (GIZ, 2015).It does not
2015 while the MoUD has prepared a draft include waste picked up by Kabadiwalas from
manual on MSWM to support cities and towns households and from the streets by rag pickers.
on planning and implementing a proper MSWM Whereas according to the report of the Task
system in line with the SWM Rules being Force on Waste to Energy (WtE), (2014) of the
promulgated in 2015. While the MSWM Planning Commission, the 7935 urban centres
Rules2000 prescribed the manner in which the of India generate 1,70,000 TPD i.e. 62 million
authorities have to undertake solid waste tons of MSW annually. It is observed that there
management activities within their jurisdiction,it is conflicting data about the actual quantum of
was observed that it failed to achieve its waste generation in urban India because there is
objectives due to lack of clarity, awareness no system of periodically collecting data on
among the stakeholders and poor enforcement waste generation.In terms of per capita, the
by the regulators. waste generation varies between 200-300
gms/capita for small towns, 300-400 gms/capita
The present paper is an endeavour to provide a for medium citiesand 400-600 gms/capita for
comprehensive review of the solid waste larger cities as per the Planning Commission
management system and most importantly report. The increase in waste quantities has been
highlight some major points of the government's estimated at 5 percent per annum.It is assumed
policies and programmes required to overcome that urban India will generate 2,76,342 TPD by
the challenges of municipal solid waste 2021, 4,50,132 TPD by 2031 and 11,95,000
management in India. The paper has been TPD of MSW by 2050. (Planning Commission,
divided into four sections. Section 1 provides 2014).The physical and chemical characteristics
the comprehensive review of the current of solid waste vary depending on population
municipal solid waste management in India size and consumption pattern.As per the report,
including the issues and keychallenges faced by MSW constitutes 51 percent of organic waste,
the ULBs in making MSWM more sustainable. followed by the inert and non-organic waste at
Section 2 discusses the technological options 32 percent. Plastics, paper, and glass constitute
available for the treatment and disposal of solid 17 percent of waste which are classified as
waste. It also highlights the government's recyclable wastes. The report of the Earth
incentives and financial supports i.e. grants and Engineering Centre (2012) stated that the
subsidies to the ULBs for the improved SWM in calorific value of the waste taken largely from 7
the country. Section 3 of the paper provides the large metropolises varied between 6.8-9.8
comprehensive review of the legal and policy MJ/Kg (1620-2340 Kcal/kg.).Waste from
framework for MSWM. The gaps in the SWM smaller cities have low calorific value mostly
Rules 2015 and suggestions on it are discussed less than 800Kcal/kg. It is known that a calorific
in the last section 4 of the paper before a brief value of over 2800 Kcal/kg is required for
conclusion. feasible incineration.

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The report of planning commission highlights It is worthwhile to note that the segregation of
that the plastic waste including composites are waste at the door step is almost absent although
high calorific value material and crucial door to door waste collection is improving in
some cities of India. Recognizing the need to
ingredient for MSW based WtE plants. Chintan
adopt innovative strategies for sustainable solid
and many other reports show that plastics are waste management, many ULBs have started
the most preferred items for retrieving by waste door to door waste collection, zero waste
pickers, from garbage, since they are light management, and segregation of waste at source
weight and plastics like HDPE, LDPE and PP in their cities.
fetch good prices. However, extremely light
weight plastics like plastic carry bags or very Success Stories
highly soiled plastics may be left behind in the
Research documents reveal that 100 percent
garbage because of their low price potential. For door to door waste collection has been achieved
improving the recycling of plastic waste, the in 329 cities of Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka,
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha,
Change notified "The Plastic Waste Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. It is further
(Management and Handling) Rules, 2011" in proposed in 1000 cities for the year 2015-16. In
supersession of the "Recycled Plastic Goa, self-help groups are involved in the entire
Margoa Municipal Council. The Kochi
Manufacture and Usage rules, 1999" notified
Municipal Corporation has successfully
under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. implemented a bin-less system in a few wards
This is again being revamped as Plastic Waste of the city (Manual: MoUD, 2014).
Management Rules 2015. "Rule 6 of the said
rules mandates that a plastic waste management Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has
system be put in place and identifies municipal initiated door to door waste collection under
SWaCH programme. In 2008, the PMC signed a
authority as the agency responsible for
five year Memorandum of Understanding to
implementation of the said rules within their decentralize door to door collection services for
jurisdiction". households, shops, offices and small
commercial establishments and to allow
1.2 Solid waste collection SWaCH members to carry out this work. As
part of its support, the Corporation provides
The latest report of the Planning Commission uniforms, aprons, raincoats and shoes for waste
(2014) shows that as high as 68 percent of the pickers involved in door to door waste
waste generated is collected daily in India while collection as well as other equipment such as
according to the report of MoUD (2011), this brooms and cycle rickshaws. At present, there
percentage varies between the different sizes of are 2,300 waste pickers who collect garbage
cities, i.e. 70-90 percent in larger cities and less from 4 lakh properties with an average of 174
than 50 percent in smaller cities. It is observed properties per waste picker. The Cooperative
that the collection efficiency of MSW in cities members collect user charges ranging between
and towns is low due to non-uniformity in the Rs.10/- to Rs.30/- per household per month
collection system. Nearly 100 percent collection from the service users. The advantage of
is observed in only those areas where the private SWaCH model is that it helps the PMC collect
contractors and NGOs are engaged in the waste waste from door step, is cost effective, leads to
collection activity. Uncollected waste often lies high-resource recovery, is labour-friendly using
outside the designated bins in most of the urban existing workers and is a sustainable enterprise
areas due to inappropriate design, capacity, (NIUA, 2013).
location and poor attitude of the community
towards using bins. It is observed that the In Surat, a door to door waste collection system
uncollected waste is generally burnt in open by a private operator introduced in 2004has
areas or on the streets. The report of the been successful. The system is operated on a
planning commission shows that over 81 PPP model with a 10 year concession period.
percent of MSW annually is disposed at open The operator uses closed body vehicles
dump sites without any treatment. Are port of equipped with vehicle tracking system.
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About 60 percent of total municipal solid waste are more than 10 km away from the city. To
is being collected and transported by the private save transportation time and fuel such cities
operator by using 310 vehicles in the respective have a good performance record of vehicle
zones (Swachh Bharat Newsletter MoUD,2015). maintenance and adequate facilities to maintain
The Shimla Municipal Corporation formed a large size vehicles and containers. Ramp facility
society known as 'Shimla Environment Heritage is provided to facilitate uploading of the dumper
Conservation and Beautification' (SEHB) in placer containers directly into a large container
2009. The scheme was operationalized in April at the transfer stations. If there is an issue of
2010. Personal protective equipment like rain suitable land for a permanent station then
coats, gum shoes and gloves have also been mobile compactor truck with primary collection
given to all sanitary staff (Bharti, 2013). The vehicles can be used to improve the
challenges of this system is mixing of wet and transportation efficiency of the system (MoUD,
dry waste along with household e-waste and 2012). Such stations have been effectively used
biomedical waste. Vehicle break-down, foul in Surat, and Coimbatore. There are six transfer
smell and spillage due to improper stations in Surat and all are operational. Waste
collection/transportation and inefficient collected is transported to transfer stations
monitoring of routes and operator are other through private vehicles and finally sent to the
issues that need to be addressed in Shimla. disposal site for waste disposal. Containers are
fully closed with leak proof doors. The
Another initiative 'Zero Waste' system has been achievements of the transfer station model are
adopted by Pune, Ahmedabad, Namakkal, etc. (i) the municipal waste received through closed
In Pune, the Zero Waste project at Katraj ward vehicles are dropped into closed containers
No. 141 was undertaken in association with without secondary handling; (ii) covered leak
NGO, Janwani. The Corporation banned open proof containers prevent spillage of waste on
dumping in June 2010 and all disposals are done the road; (iii) no permanent or temporary
using scientific processing only. There are five storage at transfer stations, thus averting the
decentralized waste processing plants across the nuisance of flies and animals at transfer
city. PMC has activated a new mobile SMS alert stations; and (iv) separate leachate collecting
system for timely and effective complaint system is provided. Coimbatore Municipal
redressal regarding garbage containers. The Corporation has four transfer stations namely
sustainability of this system relied on household Peelamedu (200 TPD), Sathy Road (125 TPD),
and commercial properties for the segregation Ukkadam (200 TPD) and Ondipudur (125
of waste. This type of model is first in India TPD). All these transfer stations are operational.
that received ISO certification for solid waste At present, although there are different types
collection and transportation. After successful and sizes of vehicles used for transportation of
implementation of this model, it was decided to waste such as dumper placers/schiff loaders,
replicate this model in 20 selected prabhags refuse collector without compactor, refuse
(electoral ward) in a phased manner. Work on collection mobile compactors, mini truck with
the implementation of the first phase has already tipping floor, hook loader/hook lifter, the
begun (Swachh Bharat Newsletter, MoUD, selection of the type of vehicles depends on
2015). Ahmedabad has signed Memorandum of various factors such as the quantity of waste,
Understanding (MoU) with United Nations distance, road widths and conditions and
Centre for Regional Development, Japan process technologies. To save travel time,
towards making Ahmedabad a zero waste city. minimize human errors and improve the
To achieve this objective, Ahmedabad monitoring system, many ULBs have installed
Municipal Corporation is working closely with Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographic
Urban Management Centre (UMC) for Information System (GIS), and Global System
developing Master Plan, City Sanitation Plan, for Mobile Communication (GSM) system in
mainstreaming waste pickers and creating their trucks to collect waste from secondary
citizen awareness (NIUA, 2013). sources for the disposal of waste. The Tool Kit
for Solid Waste Management prepared by the
1.3 Transfer station and transportation MoUD reveals that municipalities like Pimpri-
Chinchwad, Hyderabad and Delhi have
Transfer stations are used where disposal sites benefitted from this system. Ensuring the

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efficiency of 100 percent waste collection is still composting facilities, 172 bio-methanation, 29
a big challenge for the ULBs despite these RDF and 8 Waste to Energy plants reported to
technologies. Another significant challenge is to have been established many are either closed or
deal with corruption and lack of commitment in underperforming".
the solid waste transport sector.
2.2 Disposal of MSW
Section 2: Technologies for treatment of
solid waste Waste dumps or open burning continue to be the
principal method of waste disposal in India.
2.1 Technologies for MSWM These methods are continuous sources of
harmful gases and highly toxic liquid leachate.
At present, there are a number of processing Most of the cities and towns dispose of their
technologies such as composting, bio- waste by depositing it in low-lying areas outside
methanation, recycling, refuse derived fuel the city without taking precautions. As per the
(RDF), gasification, incineration, pyrolysis, estimates made by the Planning Commission
engineered landfills etc., available for the (2014), more than 80 percent waste collected is
treatment of municipal solid waste. However, disposed indiscriminately at dump yards in an
each of the technologies may have positive as unhygienic manner by the municipal authorities
well negative implications. The selection of leading to health and environmental
suitable technologies depends on the population degradation. Limited availability of land for
of a city and quantity of waste. It is important to waste disposal is a major cause of the MSW
note that "the biggest constraints lie in mess especially in big cities. The position paper
separating, collecting and transporting this on the SWM in India of the Ministry of Finance,
component to the location where decentralized 2009 estimates a requirement of more than 1400
or centralized large scale composting or biogas sq.km. of land for the solid waste disposal by
generation plus composting can be carried out" the end of 2047 if MSW is not properly
(Mani, 2015).Efficiency of recycling and handled. The draft SWM Rules, 2015 provides
composting is greatly reduced due to the criteria for the location of sanitary landfills.
absence of source separation. "Guidelines for the Selection of Site for
Landfilling from the CPCB should also be
Research documents show that over 50% of consulted". Finding new landfill sites is a major
waste collected is biodegradable organic constraint including the 'not in my backyard'
material which can be used for compositing or (NIMBY) phenomenon. People want a good
used for generating biogas. This wet waste must facility for MSW but not in the vicinity of their
be processed either through bio-methanation or households. The NIMBY attitude of the people
composting technology for generating biogas, has made the task difficult for the ULBs with
electricity and compost for use as nutrient and respect to waste storage.
prevent such wastes from reaching the landfill.
Reusable and recyclable waste that constitute 2.3 Financial Supports and Incentives
18-20 percent of the total waste are not
separated because the process of separating In order to give a push to MSWM in cities, the
them from mixed waste is highly energy and Central government has sanctioned the 12th and
time intensive and is generally not carried out. 13th Finance Commission Grants and Funds for
However, the recycling industries face a number the improvement of MSW under flagship
of problems such as (i) these industries being projects like JnNURM, UIDSSMT from 2005
labour intensive, (ii) and the poor quality of onwards and the recent Swachh Bharat Mission
recycled products are not compliant with (SBM). The 12th Finance Commission had
regulatory requirements. Mixed waste can allocated Rs.25,000 crore (Rs.20,000 crore for
neither be recycled nor composted. The report Panchayat and Rs.5,000 crore for ULBs) for
of the Task Force on Waste to Energy (Vol.I), supplementing the resources of the ULBs during
2014 reveals that "only 22 states/UTs have set the period 2005-2010. Under the 12th Finance
up processing and disposal facilities and the rest Commission (FC), an award of Rs.2,500 crore
of the States/UTs had made no effort till 2013. was made available to ULBs of all class I cities
Of the 279 conventional composting, 138 vermi for SWM during the period 2005-10.

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A substantial incentive grant of Rs. 5000 crore WTE plants has made them unviable. Greater
was recommended by the 13th FC for grid- incentivization and operational support is
connected renewable energy based MSWM on required for promoting biomethanation based
the states' achievement in renewable energy WTE. Swachh Bharat Mission is currently
capacity during April 2010 to March 2014. making available Viability Gap Funding (VGF)
upto 20% to states and individual municipal
According to the Tool Kit for SWM corporations. However, ULBs are still not able
(2012),SWM should have been treated as a to raise the rest of 80% investment required for
specific and exclusive project, which requires SWM improvement in their cities and towns.
large capital investment as well as operation and Greater convergence of schemes and sustainable
maintenance cost. The estimates of the High models need to be explored.
Powered Expert Committee of MoUD, 2011
reveals that the per capita investment cost and 3. Legal and policy framework for MSWM
per capita operations and maintenance cost for
SWM both are highest in Class IA cities 3.1 SWACHH Bharat Mission
(Rs.900/- and Rs.269/- per year respectively) as
compared to other classes (IB, IC and Class II One of the important declaration in the
and Class III) due to the assumption that large development agenda of NDA government is that
cities would adopt highly mechanized systems of Open Defecation Free India by 2019. The
while smaller cities would adopt comparatively "Swachh Bharat Mission" (SBM) is a major
more labour intensive processes while Class III initiative of the Ministry of Urban Development
and IV cities would adopt lowest technologies. (MoUD), Government of India. It is launched
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and on the occasion of the birth anniversary of
Climate Change also provides financial support Mahatma Gandhi on 2nd October, 2014. The
of upto 50 percent of the capital cost to set up Mission is a national campaign covering 4041
pilot demonstration plants on MSW statutory towns to clean the streets, roads and
composting. The Ministry also extends limited infrastructure of the country. Solid waste
financial assistance for waste characterization management is one of the important
and feasibility studies. The Ministry of New components of the Mission. The national
and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has designed government has allocated of Rs.14,623 crore for
schemes to promote waste to energy projects. the SBM for urban areas, of which Rs.7,366
The Ministry also promotes all technological crore is given for the SWM for five years i.e.
options for setting up projects for recovery of 2014-2019. While addressing the components of
energy from urban, industrial and agricultural SBM for urban areas, state governments and
wastes. Currently only five pilot projects based ULBs are expected to focus on a set of social
on MSW to energy are being supported. Under priorities and outcomes that define the scope
this scheme, a minimum amount of Rs.2 crore and complexity of the Mission.
and a maximum of Rs. 10 crore per project are
available as capital subsidy. The entire capital 3.2 Municipal Solid Waste (Management and
subsidy amount is released to the beneficiary's Handling) Rules-2000
loan account. Some of State governments of
Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Karnataka, According to the Indian Constitution, the SWM
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, is a state subject and included in the 12th
Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh have announced Schedule of the Constitution (74th Amendment)
policy measures pertaining to allotment of land, Act of 1992, ULBs are mandated to provide
supply of garbage, and facilities for evacuation, MSWM. State laws governing the ULBs also
sale and purchase of power to encourage the stipulate MSWM as an obligatory function of
setting up of waste to energy projects. Land for the municipal governments. Despite 15 years of
the facilities is provided by the ULB at a implementation of these Rules, ULBs have not
nominal rent. Although recent announcement by been able to put in place good systems.
the Power Ministry to purchase power generated Wherever the people’s representatives along
from WTE plants at a higher rate than earlier, with the people have supported source
the cost of monitoring and mitigating emissions segregation, door to door collection and eco-
and pollutants from such incineration based friendly friendly treatment of the segregated

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components in waste, they have been able to Gaps in the draft SWM Rules 2015
solve the issue with regard to processing and
disposal of solid waste. At present, the MSW i. Although separate categories have been
Management and Handling Rules 2000 are specified for wet, dry, hazardous and C &
under revision by MoEF&CC. The draft D wastes, a separate category for
revised rules was circulated in 2013 and again sanitary waste is missing.
in 2015 and will be finalized as Solid Waste ii. GPS/GIS system for tracking trucks
Management Rules 2015. It lays down the carrying separated waste needs to be
mandatory functions to be performed by various emphasized.
stakeholders. Significantly, the new Rules not iii. Synchronization of secondary storage
only emphasize source separation of wet, dry containers and vehicles with
and hazardous waste and their separate transportation is difficult because traffic
treatment but specifically Construction and congestion and pollution from waste
Demolition (C&D) waste for separation and collection vehicles plying during peak
treatment as a separate chapter. Similarly the hours is an issue.
new Plastic Waste, E-waste, Fly-Ash and Bio- iv. Use of user fee charges need to be spelt
medical waste Management Rules are under out especially for the first mile SWM –
revision and will be promulgated in 2015. payment to waste collectors’ collectives
for door to door collection, decentralized
3.3 Draft Manual on Municipal Solid Waste composting, recycling etc.
Management v. Horticultural waste needs separate
processing. Similarly, prohibiting burning
The Central Public Health & Environmental of leaves and garden waste needs
Engineering Organization (CPHEEO), Ministry emphasis.
of Urban Development, Government of India vi. Compliance criteria for Material Recovery
has prepared a draft manual on MSWM to Facilities (MRF) and use of Personal
support cities and towns on planning and Protective Equipment (PPE) for door to
implementing a proper MSWM system in line door collection and secondary segregation
with the SWM Rules being amended in 2015. need to be delineated.
This manual addresses the all aspects of vii. Responsibility of processing domestic
MSWM namely, planning, technical, hazardous waste is left to SPCBs instead
institutional, financial and legal dimensions. of making it mandatory to be transported
to regional secured landfills and treatment
According to the manual, the MSWM plan like TSDFs worked out.
should address the five year short term plan and viii. Knowhow and technologies are not
long term periods from 20-25 years. "The five- available with ULBs for bio-mining and
year short term plan may be broken into specific bio-remediation and action. This should
action plans, covering various aspects such as be done through SPVs after proper EIAs
institutional strengthening, community etc.
mobilization, waste minimization initiatives,
waste collection and transportation, treatment Suggestions to improve proposed SWM
and disposal and other policy changes as may be Rules 2015
deemed necessary".
(i) Greater emphasis on recycling is required.
4. Gaps and Suggestions on the Draft SWM ULBs especially smaller ones can easily
Rules 2015 form cooperatives etc. with waste
collectors initiatives and collectives for
The MoEFCC published the draft SWM Rules recycling rather than tie-ups with large
2015 in their website in May 2015 and companies for setting up incineration
requested stakeholders throughout India to send plants.
their comments and suggestions. The authors
examined the draft SWM Rules 2015 to identify
gaps and make suggestions. These are
discussed in the following paragraphs.
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(ii) Recycling technologies for making References

structural from plastics or converting waste
plastics and non-recyclables to Light Diesel Census of India, 2011, General Population Table
Oil as mentioned in the Planning Earth Engineering Centre, (2012), 'Sustainable Solid
Waste Management in India',
Commission report 2014 should be RanjithKharvelAnnepu, Columbia University,
delineated and their standards prescribed. New York, January.
This is feasible in smaller ULBs also. GesellschaftfurI nternationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ),
2015, 'Salient Features of the MSWM Manual: An
(iii) Waste to energy Plants based on Overview', Part I, Training on Municipal Solid
incineration are still being tested. For Waste Management, organized by GIZ and
German Cooperation, Ministry of Urban
smaller ULBs, the cost of incineration plus
Development, at New Delhi on May 5-8, 2015.
pollution control is prohibitive. Gupta, P. T., (2015), Whither Indian Urban Growth:
Dreams and Reality of Healthy Urban City in
(iv) Much greater emphasis on ULBs India, CITIES: The 21st Century India, edited by
working with waste pickers collectives and Satpal Singh, Bookwell, New Delhi.
NGOs for setting up door to door collection Mani, S., (2015), Technologies for Centralized Solid
of segregated waste, Material Recovery Waste Management, CITIES: The 21st Century
India, edited by Satpal Singh, Bookwell, New
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Protective Equipment (PPE) to them is Municipal Solid Waste Management Manual',
required. Central Public Health and Environmental
Engineering Organization (CPHEEO), Ministry of
(v) Sanitary and household Biomedical Urban Development, Government of India, New
waste management should have a separate Delhi, May.
Ministry of Urban Development, (2012), 'Toolkit for
section. Sanitary waste collection from Solid Waste Management' - Jawaharlal Nehru
doorstep every two days in red colour bags National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM),
and transporting sanitary and biomedical Ministry of Urban Development, Government of
waste generated in homes and non-medical India, New Delhi November.
institutions to Common Biomedical Waste Ministry of Urban Development, (2011), The High
Treatment Facilities (CBWTFs) should be Powered Expert Committee (HPEC) for
Estimating the Investment Requirements for Urban
made mandatory.
Infrastructure Services: Report on Indian Urban
Infrastructure and Services, Ministry of Urban
(vi) Flushing of gel based napkins should be Development, Government of India, March.
banned and separate collection Ministry of Urban Development, (n.a.), Guidance Note:
emphasized. Municipal Solid Waste Management on a Regional
Basis, Foreword: Secretary, Ministry of Urban
It can be said that Draft SWM Rules 2015 are a Development, Government of India, New Delhi.
National Institute of Urban Affairs, (2013), National
big step forward but they do not address all the Workshop on Sustainable Solid Waste
concerns and need to be improved if they have Management in India: Workshop Proceedings,
to play an important role in improving waste organized by Ministry of Urban Development,
management and sanitation conditions in our GoI, Ministry of Environment & Forest, GoI and
country. National Institute of Urban Affairs, New Delhi, 18
January 2015.
Conclusion: Planning Commission,(2014), 'Report of the Task
Force on Waste to Energy', Vol. I, Planning
Commission, New Delhi, May.
Overall, the policy agenda for Sustainable Solid
Waste Management (SSWM) needs to drive
behavioural change among citizens, elected
representatives and decision makers to minimize
wastage and littering and maximize reuse and
recycling. SSWM is a people management issue
and over-emphasis of technological solutions to
solving the SWM problem will only delay in
realizing good results.

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