Context: Recently, Niti Aayog and the Center for Science and Environment(CSE) has released a report titled “Waste-wise Cities: Best practices in municipal solid waste management”. The report is a comprehensive knowledge repository of how Indian cities are managing their solid waste. 

• Note: Swachh Bharat Mission(SBM) 2.0 was launched in September 2021. The mission focuses on source segregation, material reprocessing, and zero-landfills. 

Municipal Solid Waste

• It is estimated that urban India generates between 1.3 lakh to 1.5 lakh metric tons(MT) of municipal solid waste every day. This adds up to roughly 50 million MT per year. At current rates, this will jump to some 125 million MT a year by 2031. 

What are some best examples of cities in managing municipal solid waste?

• Indore: The city had a robust communications strategy to bring about behavioural change at the mass level. The aim was to motivate citizens to embrace segregation. This was followed by a robust monitoring system and enforcement through a series of by-laws. 
• Ambikapur (Chattisgarh): It adopted a zero-landfill model which ensures that maximum quantities of waste are subjected to scientific treatment and recycling measures and negligible waste is generated as residual solid waste or rejects, thereby minimizing the need to construct new landfills.
• Bengaluru: It employed several Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) solutions, including an RFID-based attendance system and geotagging of collection routes to monitor the waste management services.
• Pune: The city introduced the Red Dot campaign to manage sanitary waste. It is a one-of-its-kind initiative where citizens, workers and administration unanimously accepted their responsibility, making it a lesson for other cities in India. This was achieved through a well-planned mechanism of collection, channelisation and disposal.  

What are the key learnings from the practices adopted by cities in managing municipal solid waste?

• Firstly, Jan Andolan (Mass Movement) for Swachhta should be organized to understand the importance of source segregation and overall waste management operations.
• Secondly, Frontier technologies have to be used for converting waste to the highest form of energy.
• Thirdly, governance capabilities especially in the municipalities and other Urban Local Bodies(ULBs) should be strengthened to achieve zero waste cities.
• Fourthly, innovative models of circular economy in municipal waste management should be implemented.
• Lastly, advanced data management and technology like GIS tracking of waste transportation vehicles should be adopted.