Moving towards the regional approach : implementing integrated solid waste management systems in India

At two workshops held in January 2007, under the auspices of the Ministry of Urban Development with the participation of a wide range of experts and practitioners, and the support of Water and Sanitation Program-South Asia (World Bank) the challenges of safe disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) in India were deliberated.
The focus has been primarily on finding ways to provide safe and sanitary disposal for solid waste to prevent further damage to the environment by polluting, open dumps. After considering the present situation, available alternatives, obstacles, and challenges, as well as the institutional, financial, and technical aspects, this report proposes some recommendations for an approach that can meet the basic and essential objective of minimizing risks to public health and to the environment. This approach provides a solution for solid residues from all towns and cities to be disposed of in an engineered disposal facility at affordable costs.
This publication answers questions such as: 1) to what extent are current solid waste management practices in India threatening our health and environment?; 2) what are the reasons for the current state of affairs?; 3) what are the strengths and weaknesses of current strategies for disposing solid waste?; 4) what are the economically and environmentally sustainable options for disposing waste from both large and small communities ?
While the document contains some technical information, the content can be easily understood by those with an interest in municipal issues but no formal training in scientific or technical disciplines.