SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT (SWM)

1. Context

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahangara Palike (BBMP) has proposed a Solid Waste Management (SWM) Cess of ₹100 per month for each household. While the proposal has sparked debate and criticism among residents and stakeholders, it is important to understand the rationale behind SWM cess, its intended use, and the broader context of solid waste management challenges faced by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in India

2. Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)

Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) are institutions of local self-governance that manage the affairs of urban areas, such as cities and towns. They play a crucial role in the administration and development of urban areas. ULBs are established to ensure efficient delivery of civic amenities and services to urban residents. Here are the key aspects of Urban Local Bodies:

Types of Urban Local Bodies:
- Municipal Corporations: These are established in larger urban areas with significant populations and are responsible for providing a wide range of services. They have a Mayor, a municipal commissioner, and elected representatives. Examples include the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai and the Delhi Municipal Corporation.
- Municipal Councils: These are set up in medium-sized urban areas. They provide a narrower range of services compared to municipal corporations and are headed by a Chairperson. Examples include the Mysore City Municipal Council.
- Nagar Panchayats: These are found in smaller urban areas or transitional areas that are in the process of becoming urbanized. They are smaller than municipal councils and serve as a basic unit of local governance.

Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) levy user fees or SWM cess as per the provisions of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. According to these guidelines, ULBs must collect user fees/cess for SWM services provisions provided. ULBs typically charge about ₹30-50 per month as SWM cess, which is collected along with property tax. ULBs are now considering revising these rates and imposing higher charges on bulk waste generators to meet a portion of the costs incurred in providing SWM services

3. What are the Charges?

Providing Solid Waste Management (SWM) services is a complex and resource-intensive task. Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) typically allocate around 80% of their workforce and up to 50% of their annual budgets to deliver SWM services to city residents.
In a city like Bangalore, each urban resident generates approximately 0.6 kg of waste per day, amounting to 0.2 tonnes per person annually. Overall, Bangalore produces about 5,000 tonnes of solid waste daily. Managing this volume requires around 5,000 door-to-door waste collection vehicles, 600 compactors, and roughly 20,000 sanitation workers (Paurakarmikas).
SWM services consist of four main components: collection, transportation, processing, and disposal. ULBs often combine collection and transportation into one package, and processing and disposal into another. Collection and transportation are particularly resource and labor-intensive, consuming about 85-90% of the SWM budget, while only 10-15% is allocated to processing and disposal of waste

4. Solid Waste Mechanism in India

Solid Waste Management (SWM) in India involves a systematic approach to managing the collection, transportation, processing, and disposal of waste generated in urban areas. Here is an overview of the SWM mechanism in India:

Regulatory Framework

India's SWM practices are governed by several key regulations:

Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016: These rules provide comprehensive guidelines for urban local bodies (ULBs) on managing solid waste, emphasizing segregation at source, decentralized processing, and safe disposal.
Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016: These rules regulate the use, manufacture, and recycling of plastic products.
Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016: These rules address the management and handling of hazardous waste.

Components of SWM

Collection

Door-to-Door Collection: ULBs often implement door-to-door waste collection systems to ensure all household waste is collected efficiently.
Segregation at Source: Residents are encouraged to segregate waste into biodegradable (wet) and non-biodegradable (dry) categories.
Community Bins and Collection Points: Strategically placed bins and collection points are used in areas where door-to-door collection is not feasible.

Transportation

Primary Collection Vehicles: These include handcarts, auto tippers, and tricycles used for door-to-door collection.
Secondary Collection Vehicles: Larger vehicles like compactors and trucks transport waste from collection points to processing facilities.

Processing

Composting: Biodegradable waste is processed into compost, which can be used as organic fertilizer.
Vermiculture: Organic waste is converted into vermicompost using earthworms.
Recycling: Dry waste such as plastics, paper, and metals are sorted and sent to recycling units.

Disposal

Sanitary Landfills: Engineered landfills are designed to safely dispose of residual waste while minimizing environmental impact.
Waste-to-Energy Plants: These facilities convert non-recyclable waste into energy through incineration or other processes.

5. Government Initiatives

Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Mission): Launched in 2014, this mission aims to achieve universal sanitation coverage and promote cleanliness, including effective SWM.
Smart Cities Mission: Focuses on sustainable and inclusive development, including modernizing urban infrastructure for better SWM.
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT): Aims to provide basic services (e.g., water supply, sewerage) to households and build amenities in cities, promoting sustainable urban development, including SWM

6. What are the challenges?

Solid waste in Indian cities comprises approximately 55-60% wet biodegradable material and 40-45% non-biodegradable material.
Only about 1-2% of the dry waste is recyclable, with the majority being non-recyclable and non-biodegradable.
While 55% of the wet waste has the potential to be converted into organic compost or biogas, the actual yield is as low as 10-12%, making these processes financially unfeasible.
Typically, the operational revenue from waste processing facilities covers only 35-40% of operational expenses, with the remainder subsidized by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
In addition to financial constraints, ULBs encounter several challenges in Solid Waste Management (SWM) services.
These include managing open dumping sites and drains, preventing littering, dealing with seasonal variations in waste generation, and conducting sweeping operations.
Disposing of non-compostable and non-recyclable dry waste, such as single-use plastics, textile waste, and inert materials, is costly because these materials must be transported to cement factories or waste-to-energy projects located 400-500 km from cities.
In large cities like Bangalore, about 15% of the budget is allocated to SWM—around ₹1,643 crore out of a total ₹11,163 crore budget—while the revenue from SWM services is minimal, at approximately ₹20 lakh per year.
Smaller cities may spend up to 50% of their budgets on SWM but also generate negligible revenue. As a result, ULBs impose an SWM cess to cover a portion of these costs

7.Way Forward

Although collection and transportation of waste generate no revenue, several strategies can reduce overall expenditure on SWM and lower user charges. These are segregation of waste at source, reducing single-use plastic, decentralised composting initiatives, Information, Education and Awareness (IEC) to prevent open littering, and asking bulk waste generators to process their own waste.

Source: The Hindu

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