Management of Urban Solid Waste in Shimla—A Case Study

Abstract

Urban India is facing huge challenges for coping with the infrastructural requirements of the ever-increasing population. As per the Census 2011, the population of India was 1.21 billion, of which 31% live in cities. The management of municipal solid waste remains a major infrastructure requirement that needs to be improved although in recent years the management of municipal solid waste has been a major environmental issue in all urban areas of our country. Improper and inadequate management of municipal waste causes adverse effects on environment, such as air, water and land pollution along with global warming. Estimation on the quantity and the characteristics of municipal solid waste and its forecasting over the planning period is the key to a successful solid waste management plan. The increase in urbanization and growth in population have revealed the need for sustainable development, and developing innovative solutions to these existing problems and effective management of municipal solid waste is one of them. In this paper, a case study of Shimla in Himachal Pradesh is carried out to know about its existing solid waste management system. The study reveals that the amount of municipal solid waste generated by Shimla is approximately 9.30 MT. This depicts that waste generation per capita per day is 350 gm/capita/day in the city. The waste generated is disposed of unscientifically in open dumps, and also open incineration is carried out, which causes problem to public health and environment. The study includes the parameters of waste management beginning from the sources, collection, transportation and final disposal.