Municipal solid waste management in Kanpur, India: obstacles and prospects

Purpose - The purpose of this research is to assess the existing state of MSW in Kanpur city with the aim of identifying the main obstacles to its efficiency and the prospects for improvisation of the solid waste management system in the city. Design/methodology/approach - The research has been conducted in three stages. The first stage involved collection of background information through various reports, publications of various organizations to understand the state of MSWM in the city, followed by interviews with various heads of the Municipal Corporation involved in SWM, municipal workers and residents of the city. Field studies were conducted in few wards of the city and official dump sites. The third stage involved conducting interviews with planning experts and representatives from NGOs to derive information on various SWM related problems and prospects for improvising the system. Findings - The existing solid waste management system in the city appears to be highly inefficient. Only primary and secondary collection, transportation and open dumping are practiced, that too in a non-technical manner. Research limitations/implications - There is a need to establish a detailed database regarding the quantity and quality of the waste generated by various generators category wise. There is a need to find the exact size of the informal waste recycling sector and the economics of waste recycling in the city to integrate it with the formal sector. Originality/value - This paper systematically assesses the obstacles in the existing solid waste management system in Kanpur city and tries to assess the potentials for its improvisation.