Status of Integrated Solid Waste Management and Its Practices in the Twenty-First Century in India

Integrated solid waste management is an important challenge as well as an opportunity for public authorities, academicians, researchers and policymakers. The lack of understanding about the issues related to municipal solid waste management (MSWM) among different stakehol­ders and the associated cost makes the process challenging. This study was conducted based on the literature, reports and data available in public domain. India has the second largest population in the world, and its urbanization has posed many challenges for MSWM. The objectives of this study were to quantify the MSW generation, treatment and disposal rates in different states of India in recent years of the 21st century. We explain the geographical distribution of per capita generation of MSW in different states and Union Territories of India, considering the data from the Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi. We obser­ved that Odisha and Delhi had the highest per capita generation of waste in the country. Karnataka reported the highest percentage rise in per capita generation of MSW from 2014–15 to 2019–20. An in-depth study of the treatment methods and status in different states has also been reviewed by us. Maharashtra reported highest treatment of MSW in 2019–20 and also had the maximum number of landfills in India.