Waste Management in India

Abstract

The current status and challenges of waste management in India are expounded in this chapter. Because of the rapid increase in industrialization, urbanization and population, the municipal solid waste production rate is surging in Indian cities and towns. As per the World Bank estimation presently, India generates about 90 million tonnes of solid waste per year, with a production rate of 0.34 kg of waste per person per day. Municipal solid waste mismanagement can affect an environment adversely, increasing public health risk and other socio-economic problems. Furthermore, an extensive review of municipal waste collection, generation, its characterization and treatment possibilities as used in India is given. In this chapter, major factors of municipal solid waste management are evaluated. The chapter concludes that the growth of the recycling industry and setting up regionalized solid waste processing systems in metropolitan cities is the need of the hour in India. The present status of solid waste management in India that can support experienced experts liable to municipal waste management and investigators to make more effective plans is also highlighted in the chapter.