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                      American International Journal of Social Science Research; Vol. 5, No. 1; 2020 
                                       ISSN 2576-103X   E-ISSN 2576-1048 

Published by Centre for Research on Islamic Banking & Finance and Business, USA 
 

     22 
 

 

Present Scenario of Waste Management in India 
 
 

Pradip Kumar Das PhD 
Associate Professor & Head of the Department 

Commerce Unit (Morning), J.K. College, Purulia 
Affiliation under S.K.B. University, Purulia, India 

E-mail: pradip57.prl@rediffmail.com 
 
Abstract 
In India, approach towards waste management is unscientific. Even today, large portion of solid waste is dumped 
indiscriminately on outskirts of places without any prior treatment leading to groundwater contamination and increase in air 
pollution. Resource recovery from waste and safe disposal of residual in scientifically designed landfills are grossly neglected. 
The present system is focused on collection and transportation of largely mixed unsegregated waste for sustainable solid waste 
management, but the capacity to plan and manage the system and ensure the enforcement of rules is a major challenge. This 
study analyses current scenario of waste management in India. Besides presenting few mitigation choices to respond to the 
growing challenge, it also suggests mechanisms for ensuring integrated waste management systems.  
 
Keywords:  Landfills, Waste Generation, Disposal, Waste Management.   
 
1. Introduction 
Generation of waste is a natural phenomenon. Despite social, economic and environmental development, there is a long way to 
implement an effective solid waste management (SWM) practice. A substantial amount of municipal waste and industrial waste 
is extremely dangerous to the living organisms (Misra & Pandey, 2005). SW is expected to increase significantly in near future as 
India strives to attain an industrialized nation status (Sharma & Shah, 2005). Therefore, there is an urgent need to move to more 
sustainable SWM with new management systems and facilities. Developed countries manage their wastes with advanced facilities, 
competent government institutions and bureaucracies. Developing countries like India are still in the transition towards better 
waste management (WM). Current SWM systems having negative impact on public health, environment and economy need 
clear government policies and competent bureaucracies especially in countries having rapid population growth. This paper 
comprehensively reviews current status of WM in India and makes an attempt to track various issues concerning waste streams 
as on date.  
 
2. Objectives of the Paper 
The prime objectives of the study are to- 

▪ Present the current status of WM in India 

▪ Carry out analysis showing the reasons of improper WM  
▪ Offer suggestions to overcome the same. 

 
3. Data and Research Methodology 
The study basically depends on secondary data. The researcher, being an external analyst, has to depend mainly on current 
literature available on the issue in the form of books, journals, articles, research studies, websites, etc. for the examination of 
current status of WM. Editing, classification and tabulation of data collected from these sources have been done as per 
requirement of the study. Different statistical techniques and tools have also been applied for the purpose of the analysis.   
 
4. Literature Survey 
Sharholy et al., (2007) in their report over municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in Indian cities discussed about the 
different aspects of disposals and treatment of MSW. They suggested to work towards further improvement of the present 
system. Talyan et al., (2008) observed the policies and initiatives of the Government and Municipal Corporation of Delhi and 
suggested to improve the existing MSWM system. Kumar & Goel, (2009) examined MSWM practices with various parameters. 
They proposed integrated SWM plan and augmentation in labor and vehicle inventory for better treatment and disposal 
facilities. Narayan (2008) in his report on landfills, incineration and composting practices in India from MSWM identified the 
most economical and best option possible to combat the waste disposal problem. Unnikrishnan & Singh (2010) focused on 

mailto:pradip57.prl@rediffmail.com


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clean development mechanism (CDM) projects and the CDM opportunities in India and revealed in comparative study between 
Brazil and India that India does not have well designed sanitary landfills. India should make conscious efforts towards 
developing more scientific landfills, capture methane and take carbon credits. Vij (2012) in the report on SWM assessed the 
current practices of SW and the problems associated with it and suggested measures to conduct this waste in healthy and 
environment friendly manner to prove resource instead of waste.   
 
5.Waste Management (Or Wm) - Concept    
‘Waste Management’ collectively means management of waste from its inception to its final disposal. Thus, WM includes 
collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste along with its monitoring and regulation. All kinds of wastes, right from 
municipal waste to agricultural waste to hazardous residues and special wastes such as sludge, health care wastes come under one 
umbrella. Industrialization along with rapid urbanization witnesses building up of waste. Efficient WM implies full exploration 
for final disposal of waste.  
 
6. Indian Scenario 
6.1 Magnitude of Problem 
 India is suffering from acute increase in waste generation. Collection efficiency is not much developed. Crude dumping is 
practiced everywhere. Sound waste management can tackle waste production scientifically. Types of SW depend on its source, 
composition, phase, treatment, etc. (Table-1). 
 
Table 1. Type of SW   
 

Source     Waste Generators  Type of Solid Waste  

Residential  Household activities  Food, paper, plastics, wood, metals, 
electronic items, etc.  

Industrial  Manufacturing units, power plants, process 
industries, etc.  

Housekeeping wastes, hazardous wastes, 
ashes, etc.  

Commercial & 
Institutional  

Hotel, restaurant, market, office, school, 
hospital, prison, etc.  

Biomedical, food, glass, metals, plastic, 
paper, etc.  

Construction and 
Demolition  

New construction, road repair, demolition of 
structures, etc.  

Wood, steel, concrete, dust, etc.  

Municipal Services  Street cleaning, parks, water treatment plants, 
landscaping, water, recreational areas, etc.  

Tree trimmings, usual wastes, sludge, etc.        

Agriculture  Crops, orchards, farm, dairies, etc.  Agricultural & Hazardous waste, etc. 

Mining   Open-cast mining, underground mining, etc.  Basically, inert materials like ash, etc.  

Source: Author’s own elaboration 
 
6.2 Composition, Characteristic, Generation, etc. of SW 
Composition, characteristic, generation, etc. of SW vary from place to place in India (Figure 1 &Table-2,3).  
 

 
 

Figure 1. Composition of Municipal Solid Waste in India 

Source: Task Force on Waste to Energy, Planning Commission 
 

51%

10%

7%

32%
Biodegradble

Plastic

Paper

Others



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Table 2. Physical Characteristics of SW in Indian Cities  
 

City  Paper  Textile  Leather  Plastic  Metal  Glass  Ash, Fine 
earth, others  

Compostable      
matter  

Ahmedabad  6  1   3                                    50    40  

Banglore  8  5                         6                     3 6      27     45  

Bhopal  10  5  2  2   1      35     45  

Mumbai  10  4  1 2   1      44     40  

Kolkata  10   3  1  8   3      35     40  

Coimbatore  5 9  1        50     35  

Delhi  7   4  1  2  3  1            52     32  

Hyderabad  7  2   1      50     40  

Indore  5  2   1        49     43  

Jaipur  6                 2   1   2      47     42  

Kanpur  5   1 5 2       53     40  

Kochi  5    1       36    58 

Lucknow  4 2    4  1      49     40  

Ludhiana  3 5   3        30    40  

Madras  10 5 5   3       33      44  

Madurai  5 1    3       46     45  

Nagpur  5  7   2   1  1  1     53     30  

Patna  4  5  2   6  1  2    35    45  

Pune  5     5                       10   15    55  

Surat  4 5    3   3    45    40  

Vadodara 4     7      49    40  

Varanasi  3 4    10      35    48  

Visakhapatnam  3 2    5   5    50    35  

Average  6 4  1  4  2  2    40   42 

 
Source: 1) Municipal Bodies of Different Cities; 2) Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 2012 

 
India has rapid urbanization with physical, climatic, geographical, ecological, social, cultural and linguistic diversity 

(Table 4). In fact, people still throw household waste without following proper WM channel; few industries dump its wastes 
illegally and lack of awareness is still there. Besides, nuclear waste is important for its adverse environmental impact.  
 

Table 3. Estimates for SW Generation 
 

Year Source Annual Generation 
(million tons) 

2017 Our Estimate- 1 based on 450 gm per capita daily generation and 
urban population of 440 million* 

72 

2017 Our Estimate- 2 based on 400 gm per capita daily generation and 
urban population of 440 million* 

64 

2014-15 Central Pollution Control Board 52 

2014-15 Ministry of Urban Development 52 

2013-14 Task Force on Waste to Energy, Planning Commission 62 

Source: CPCB, Ministry of Urban Development and Planning Commission 

 
Population growth increases waste much in India. Mega cities have dynamic economic growth and high waste 

generation per capita (Table 4). 
 



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Table 4. Major Cities in India and Waste Generation Data  
             

City            Population(Million)          
Waste Generated(TPD)              
Waste Generation                                   
(2011 Cencus)                             

Waste Generated(TPD)   
(TPD)             

Waste Generation 
(kg per capita per day)  
 

Ahmadabad   6.3                                    2300 0.36 
 

Hyderabad     7.7                                    4200 0.54 
 

Bangalore                         8.4                                    3700     0.44 

Chennai 8.6                                    4500 0.52 

Kolkata    14.1                                   3670 0.26 
 

Delhi                                16.3                                   5800   0.41 

Mumbai                           18.4                                   6500 0.35 

 
Source: CPCB Report, 2012 

 
6.3 Statistics on Waste Generation and Waste Characterization  
Estimating and forecasting of waste generation and its characteristics is fundamental to successful WM planning. India generates 
a large amount of SW per day; but collection and treatment is not enough. SW generation per capita in India ranges from about 
0.17 kg per person per day in small towns to about 0.62 kg per person per day in cities (Kumar & Goel, 2009). Waste 
generation depends on population density, economic status, commercial activity, culture and region.   
 
6.4 Waste Characterization Data 
Waste composition has a significant impact on WM practices. Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rule governs 
MSW which contains hazardous wastes, compostable organics waste, healthcare waste, etc. Households and inert waste from 
construction, demolition and road sweeping generate organic waste. Waste samples collected from different cities shows varied 
MSW composition. Average (%by weight) composition of MSW in Indian metro cities is found to be compostable (41), inert 
(40), paper (6), plastic (4), glass (2), metals (2), textile (4) and leather (1) respectively (Sharholy et al., 2007). Rag-pickers and 
recyclers of neighborhood in processing waste reduces waste headed to landfill and prevents rag-pickers from having to rummage 
through waste. Onus lies with the citizens. The citizens have to follow few basic steps in disposing waste such as collection, 
segregation, dumping, composting, drainage, treatment of effluents before discharge, etc. 

 
7. Waste Management in India 
Less than 60% of waste is collected from households and only 15% of urban India’s waste is processed in the country (PIB, 
2016).  Collection vs. dumped position is exhibited in Figure 2).                                   
 

 
Figure 2. Collection vs. Dumped Statistics in Million MTp.a. 

 
 



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7.1 Prediction on Future Waste Growth 
Asia shares about one-third of expected world waste with major contributions from China and India by 2050. Waste in urban 
areas increase due to population and lifestyle. In 2011, urban India generated 47.30 million tons of waste and by 2036, it is 
predicted to be 131.2 million tons, a fivefold increase (Table 5). 
 
Table 5. Predicted Population Growth and Impact on Waste Generation 
 

Year Population 
(Million)               

Waste Generation  
(Kg per capita per day)                             

Waste Generation 
(Million tons per year) 

2011 260.1                                0.498                                   47.30 

2021 342.8                                0.569                                   71.15 

2031 451.8                                0.649                                   107.01 

2036 518.6                                0.693                                   131.2 

 
Source: Annepu, RK, 2012 

 
7.2 Scenario of Waste Collection and Transportation  
Of late, Waste Management Rules under the Environment Protection Act has changed the atmosphere. Ministry of 
Environment and Forests (2015) and updated published draft Rules have re-issued to ensure sound WM in India. Municipal 
authorities implement these rules and develop infrastructure for collection and waste disposal methods. Integration of the 
methods increases collection efficiency (Talyan et al., 2008). Many states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, 
Tripura with local bodies and NGOs have taken initiatives to increase collection efficiently while states like Arunachal Pradesh, 
Nagaland are yet to comply with the MSW Rules and unscientific methods. Table-8 exhibits waste collection of different states 
of India. Table 6 shows state-wise waste collection of India. 
 
 Table 6. State-Wise Waste Collection  
 

            State  Quantity  
Generation  
  (TPD)  

Collection                                      
(TPD)  

    State  Quantity     
Generation  
  (TPD)  

Collection                            
(TPD)  

Andaman& Nicobar  50  43  Lakshadweep  21  21  

Andhra Pradesh  11500  10655  Madhya Pradesh  4500  2700  

Arunachal Pradesh  94  NA  Maharashtra  19204  19204  

Assam  1146  807  Manipur  113  93  

Bihar  1670  1670  Meghalaya  285  238  

Chandigarh  380  370  Mizoram  4742  3122  

Chhattisgarh  1167  1069  Nagaland  188  140  

Daman Diu& Dadra  28+13=41  NA  Orissa  2239  1837  

Delhi  7384  6796  Pondicherry  380  NA  

Goa  193  NA  Punjab  2794  NA  

Gujarat  7379  6744  Rajasthan  5037  NA  

Haryana  537  NA  Sikkim  40(capital)  32  

Himachal Pradesh  304  275  Tamil Nadu  12504  11626  

Jammu & Kashmir  1792  1322  Tripura  360  246  

Jharkhand  1710  869  Uttar Pradesh  11585  10563  

Karnataka  6500  2100  Uttrakhand  752  NA  

Kerala  8338  1739  West Bengal  12557  5054  

  34 States  127486  893  

Source: CPCB, 2012 
7.3 Role of Informal Sector  
Informal sector is an integral part of WM system. Waste pickers, in India, mostly depend on it for income. Table-7 & 8 show 
collection efficiency, estimation of MSW collection and segregation at source in selected Indian cities. 



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          Table- 7. Collection Efficiency of Indian Cities 
 

Name of the City Collection Efficiency (%) Name of the City Collection Efficiency (%) 

Bombay 97 Madurai 52 

Madras 90 Pune 70 

Banglore 68 Baroda 60 

Coimbatore 65 Bhopal 94 

Ahmedabad 90 Salem 19 

Kanpur 70 Lucknow 83 

Indore 83   

Source: Gupta et al., 1998; Khan, 1994 

 
Table-8. MSW Collection and Segregation at Source in Selected Cities  
 

City State  Population                 
(million)  

Door-to-door 
Collection  
from Households(%)   

Segregation  
at Source(%)  

  Large Cities      

Mumbai  Maharashtra  20  80  -  

Delhi  -  19  39  -  

Bengaluru  Karnataka  10 71  50  

Chennai  Tamil Nadu  10  80  -  

Hyderabad  Telangana  9 73  -  

Ahmedabad  Gujarat  8 95  -  

Surat  Gujarat  6  60  12  

Pune  Maharashtra  6 50  52  

Mid-size Cities      

Indore  Madhya Pradesh  3  90  53  

Bhopal  Madhya Pradesh  2  100  na  

Ludhiana  Punjab  2 25  -  

Chandigarh  -  1  95  -  

Mysuru  Karnataka  1 95  55  

Small Cities      

Warangal  Telangana  1 90  na  

Tirunelveli  Tamil Nadu  1 100  100  

Alappuzha  Kerala  0.2  100  76  

Suryapet  Telangana  0.1  100  NA 

Gangtok  Sikkim  0.1  90  30  

Panaji  Goa  0.1  100  90  

 
Note: Large cities-Population greater than 5 million, Mid-sized-1 million to 5 million and small cities-Less than 1 million. Data 
for Kolkata are unavailable. 

Source: Municipal Bodies of Different Cities 
7.4 Waste Disposal Options 
Waste disposal is at critical stage in India. Well-engineered waste disposal saves public health and preserves key environmental 
resources. Important disposal options available are: i) Non-engineered Disposal- In many Indian cities, poorly managed and 
commonly practiced dumping give birth to acute environmental degradation and public health. Above 90% of SW in cities and 
towns are directly disposed on land in an unsatisfactory manner (Sharholy et al., 2008). ii) Sanitary Land filling- Sanitary land 
filling option avoids harmful effects of uncontrolled dumping, minimizes surface water and gas escaping from waste. Engineered 
landfill allows safe disposal of residual and reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and slope instability issues. However, land 
filling is the most widely adopted practice in India to ensure sanitary land filling (Kansal, 2002). iii) Composting: Many large-
scale compost plants have been set up in major cities and towns. Compost has very high agricultural value (Tchobanoglous et al., 



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1977). iv) Incineration: In India, incineration is usually limited to hospital and other biological wastes for high organic material, 
moisture contact and low calorific value (Kansal, 2002; Bhide & Shekdar, 1998). v)Vermicomposting Municipal Solid Waste: 
In this method, earthworms feeding on organic matters in SW convert into casting rich in plant nutrients. vi) Reuse and 
Recycling of Waste materials: Reuse and recycling minimize waste by converting discarded materials into useful products. 
Hierarchical Process having 3R’s, namely, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle is the cornerstone of WM strategies. The basic principle 
lying is that all the generated residues are utilized to maximum while only a minimal amount of waste is left for resourcefully 
reusing through other viable channels (Table 9). 
 
Table 9. Land Allocated for Developing Landfills 
 

City  No. of landfills sites  Area 
(acre) 

City  No. of landfills sites  Area 
(acre)  

Chennai  2   1150.3  Jaipur  3  77.6  

Coimbatore  2  721.5  Kolkata  1  61.0  

Surat  1  494.2  Chandigarh  1  44.5  

Mumbai  3  345.9  Ranchi  1  37.1  

Hyderabad  1  300.2  Dehradun  1  11.1  

Ahmedabad  1  207.6  Jamshedpur  2  10.1  

Delhi  3  164.1  Faridabad  3  5.9  

Jabalpur  1  150.7  Asansol  1  4.9  

Indore  1  147.0  Varanasi  1  4.9  

Madurai  1  120.1  Agra  1  3.7  

Bengaluru  2  100.6  Lucknow  1  3.5  

Vishakhapatnam  1  100.1  Rajkot  2  3.0  

Ludhiana  1  99.8  Shimla  1  1.5  

Nasik  1  85.0     

Source: CPCB,2011 
8. Government Policy and Legislation  
The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) with the Central and State Pollution Control Board takes care of the WM 
issues. The Technology Advisory Group under the direction of High Court submits its report from time to time relating to the 
scope of improvement and implementation of new technologies. The Government has also passed Plastic Waste (Management 
and Handling) Rules, 2011 and E-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 to solve the issue. Article 48-A of the 
Indian Constitution advises each state to recycle and reuse its waste. Final SW is disposed in landfills to minimize adverse 
environmental impact to reduce toxicity and its final volume (Misra & Pandey, 2005). The state governments have taken 
initiative to ban plastic carry bags and electronic goods for better disposal. Unlike European countries, Extended Producer 
Responsibility (EPR) concept has not become successful in India. Vehicle management has become a challenge to tackle the 
issue. CPCB (2012) has published ‘Guidelines for Environmentally Sound Management of ‘End-of-Life Vehicles’ (ELV)” to 
solve adverse impact of vehicles on environment. Table 10 shows benchmark set by the Government. 
 

    Table 10. Benchmark set by the Government of India  
  

Activity  Percentage (%)           Activity  Percentage (%)  

Collection Efficiency  100%  Cost Recovery  100%  

Segregation  100%  Redressal of Complaints     80%  

Recovery/Recycling Efficiency  80%  Collection of User Charge  90%  

Cost Recovery  100%  Treatment   of MSW  100%  

Source: Ministry of Urban Development 
9. Current Scenario  
India having vast population with growing economy cannot afford to effective WM. Policy framework is available on paper; but 
ground reality is alarming. The Government has taken initiatives; still there is a long journey to travel to achieve desired results. 
‘Swachchh Bharat Abhiyan’ also known as ‘Clean India Mission’ is a bold step to awaken citizens about the importance of WM 



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approach. The Government has also opened its doors for private sector. Public-Private-Partnership (PPP)Model can help 
generating revenues and eventually competency level for effective SWM. However, lacking finance, public support and 
institutional deficiency create obstacles. India has adopted the following legislations to strengthen her hands of administration 
about major waste streams (Table-11).    
 
Table 11.  Major Waste Streams Legislation in India   
 

      Type of waste       Applicable Legislation                        Impact  

 
   Hazardous Waste  
 
     
 

 
Hazardous and Other Wastes 
(Management and Tran boundary 
Movement) Rules, 2016  

 
Pollution; Fire hazard; Food; 
Climate; Food; Health; Habitat loss; 
Bio-magnification,  soil fertility, etc.  

 Bio-medical Waste  Bio-Medical Waste Management 
Rules, 2016  

Infection; Pollution; Climate; Food; 
Health; Habitat loss; Flora/Fauna, 
etc.  

Plastic Waste Plastic Waste Management Rules, 
2016 

Sewerage; Drainage; Digestion; Food; 
Health; Flora, etc.  

   Lead Acid Battery Waste The Batteries (Management and 
Handling) Rules, 2001 

Pollution; Lead poisoning;  Habitat 
loss; Health, Food,; Resource, etc.  

Construction and Demolition Waste  
 

Construction and Demolition Waste 
Management Rules, 2016  
 

Pollution; Sewerage, Drainage; 
Health; Habitat loss; Bio-
magnification, Soil fertility, etc.  

Municipal Solid Waste Solid Waste Management Rules, 
2016  
 

Pollution; Sewerage; Drainage; 
Climate; Fauna; Food; Material 
corrosion; Bio-magnification; 
Infection, etc.  

Radioactive Waste Atomic Energy (Safe Disposal of 
Radioactive Wastes) Rules, 1987 

Health; Pollution; Resource 
depletion;  Flora/Fauna, etc.  

   Fly Ash 
  

Fly Ash Notification , 1999 
 

 Health; Pollution; Resource 
depletion, Flora/Fauna, etc.  

Source: CPCB, 2012 
9.1 Rapid Urbanization  
Unplanned urbanization increases pollution level and environmental degradation. Reverse flow of money encourages residents 
generating more trash and also making dumping a more popular option to recycling or composting. Thus, all stakeholders need 
to be incentivized to maximize collection, minimize dumping and maximize composting and recycling operations. India needs a 
paradigm shift from dumping based approach to efficient utilization of construction and demolition (C & D) waste. C & D 
waste recycled to replace natural building material is beneficial for environment and also saves substantial costs and resources. 
About 30% of C & D waste in India contains bricks masonry while 35% constitutes soil, sand and gravel (GIZ, 2016). 
Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016 contain the functions of C & D waste generator. Further, CPCB, 
(2012) has published guidelines on Environmental Management in the matter.  
 
9.2. Challenges in India 
Collection, segregation, insufficient land, dumping, unawareness, etc. are key issues and challenges in India. Simple dumping 
cannot mobilize financial resources for expensive technology. A closer look at the scenario reveals that waste needs to be treated 
holistically. Urban migration and density of population can make WM a difficult issue in future. Although there have been a 
variety of policy responses to the its problem, sustainable solutions to either organic or inorganic waste still remain unattended. 
Recycling is the most economically viable option for employment opportunity to the urban poor. Critical issues like industry 
responsibility, sustainable recycling and catalyzing waste reduction have not been touched upon sufficiently. Every kind of 
material used for packaging cannot be recycled in the low-end technology. Besides, safety provisions of the waste-pickers and 
workers are very poor. Modern technology can deal with urban waste problem. Developed countries are doing away with 
incinerators because of high costs. But developing countries have become potential markets for dumping such technologies. 
 



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10. Suggestions for Future Improvement 
Table-12 outlines major waste stream, its block and offers recommendations for sound WM: 
                   
Table 12.  Interventions Concerning Major Waste Stream  
 

Type of Waste                 Bottleneck             Recommendation  

Hazardous Waste  
 
 
 

Shortage of staff; Absence of Treatment and 
Disposal Facilities, Distance between 
generator and treatment/disposal sites, etc.  

Increase number of staff; Establish TSDF, etc.  
 
 

Biomedical Waste 
 
 
 

Shortage of staff; Undone tracking of plastic 
stream from bio-medical waste; No 
mechanism to cross check quantity of waste 
generated. 

Increase number of staff; Track the plastic 
stream; Annual publication of consumption of 
medical consumables by concerned department  

Plastic Waste Shortage of staff Increase number of staff 

Lead Acid Battery Waste  Shortage of staff Increase number of staff  

Construction and Demolition Waste Shortage of staff & recycling facility; 
Unawareness among people; etc 

Increase number of staff; Create awareness 
through various mass communication media; 
Encourage recycling facilities under PPP model 
at the outskirts of local bodies; Encourage 
prefabricated building. 

Municipal Solid Waste 
 

Shortage of staff & processing facility; 
Unawareness among stakeholders; Difficulty 
in adopting ‘Polluter Pay’ principle, etc.  
 

  Increase number of staff; Create                    
awareness through various mass communication 
media; Encourage recycling facilities under PPP 
model at the outskirts of each local bodies,; 
Collect SWM; High levy on hazardous/ 
infectious waste generators.     

E-Waste Shortage of staff; Unawareness among 
people; Entry of End-of-life mercury 
bearing lamps, etc. 

Increase number of staff; Create awareness 
through various mass communication media; 
Phase out mercury bearing lamps 

Radioactive Waste 
 
 
 

Cremation of people underwent 
radiotherapy might release residual 
radioactive substance into environment.  
 

Shift the crematorium away from city limits; 
Train people in crematorium about hazardous 
involved; Monitor emissions and ash from 
crematoriums. 

Fly Ash Lack of research with respect to utilization 
of ash in ash pond.      

Encourage research with respect to utilization of 
bottom ash. 

End-of-Life Vehicle  
 

No exclusive legislation or provision in the 
existing legislation; Mostly dismantled end-
of-life vehicles sent for recycling by informal 
sector; No formal tracking of end of 
vehicles and its status, etc.  

Incorporate provisions with respect to disposal of 
end-of-life vehicles in existing rules; Introduce 
EPR, Track end of life vehicles.  
 

Food Waste No exclusive legislation or provision in the 
existing legislation; No formal tracking of 
food waste, etc.  

Incorporate provisions to reduce, reuse, recycle 
and disposal of food waste in existing rules; 
Quantify and track food waste.  

Slaughter House Waste No exclusive legislation or provisions in the 
existing legislation; No formal tracking of 
slaughter house waste, etc.  

 Incorporate provision for proper disposal of 
slaughter house waste in existing rules; Introduce 
EPR, etc.  

Bottom Ash  
 
 

No exclusive legislation or provisions in the 
existing legislation; Lack of research for 
utilization of bottom ash, etc.  

Incorporate bottom ash   in existing rules; 
Encourage research regarding utilization of 
bottom ash  
  



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Disaster Waste No exclusive legislation or provision in the 
existing legislation; No estimation of waste 
envisaged in each local body at different 
possible calamity, etc. 

Incorporate provisions for disaster waste in 
existing rules; Estimate and publish waste 
envisaged in each local body for different 
possible calamity 

Author’s own elaboration 
 

10.1 Further Suggestions  
▪ Technical aspects should make strategy for planning and its implementation according to situation of the country.   
▪ Wastes need to be increasingly sorted at the source to separate recycled materials and to reduce the magnitude of 

wastes.  
▪ Changes in the habits of segregation, littering can alter the approach. A mechanism to generate revenue from the 

citizens should also be developed. 
▪ Separate parallel decentralized schemes by the Government can facilitate right impetus for the development of WM 

method.  
▪ Integration of informal sector can help achieve sustainable SWM on the one hand and improving their living standards 

on the other. 
▪ Scenario based on socio-economic, environmental and health considerations should fulfill the basic goal of recycling 

the maximum waste generated, creating maximum employment without reducing potential health hazards.  
▪ Self-Employed Women’s Association improves the living standard of women paper-pickers by organizing them into 

cooperatives.  
▪ A flawless flow sheet matching financial support, discipline and attitudinal change in all concerned is obviously the key 

to success of WM. 
▪ In India, authorities practicing landfill do declare that they assiduously implement requirements for recommended 

landfill to assuage citizen concern.  
▪ Recycling and reuse of plastics with new techniques can minimize pollution level.  
▪ The Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation, as well as Agriculture, should develop market for 

compost and provide subsidies for compost manure-first.  
▪ Planning and its implementation should start from general public level followed by block level, district level and state 

level.  
▪ India needs integrating waste policy with migration, industrialization, education, housing, tourism and transportation.  
▪ The state governments with banning of plastic carry bags should also put an end to electronic goods to ensure better 

disposal of e-waste.  

▪ Awareness among the young generation can alter public apathy by building campaigns and educational measures.   
▪ Research efforts should concentrate on biological methods of waste treatment. In the modern hi-tech age, problem of 

USWM is to be addressed in broader dimension.  
▪ A well-defined strategic SM plan and its strong implementation prevents epidemic and makes each city healthy.  
▪ Sensitization of the community helps achieve the objectives as every city in India is already a hotbed of many 

contagious diseases.   
▪ Working on a holistic approach by NGOs and private sectors helps developing responsible citizens who will treat 

waste as resource opportunity. 
 

11. Conclusion  
Time has come to encourage technology-based entrepreneurship for effective WM. Authorities must protect fundamental rights 
of citizens and citizens also must perform their fundamental duties to their best practices. Most of the populated areas show the 
picture of sadly managed and uncontrolled dumpsites. Lackadaisical attitude of the common people has compounded the 
problem and have left the entire responsibility to the civic authorities. Environmental degradation has led to unregulated use of 
environment and its wide spread. Absence of complete market makes use of alternative method essential to find solution for the 
environmental issues. In fact, implementation of environment laws is yet to impact on ecosystem and, therefore, on the health 
and living conditions of the citizens.  
 
12. Concluding Remarks 
Waste generation basically depends on population, climate, urbanization, socio-economic criteria, etc. The Government should 
simplify the rules and encourage all the citizens to practice the same in their households and may arrange for reward to the best 
WM practitioner. Methods like vermicomposting, energy generation from solar cells and e-wastes using recycled water for 
household practices can be easily preached to the common people. This enhances the fertility of our soil, reduces environmental 



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32 
                         
 

pollution, increases ground water level ultimately making our environment a safe haven to live. This will be the real legacy we 
have to leave behind for the forthcoming generation. 
 
Acknowledgement 
This paper is devoted to ALMIGHTY GOD who shows HIS blessings in all walks of my life. 
 
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