Municipal Solid Waste Management on a Regional Basis

The Government of India has developed this Regional Solid Waste Management (RSWM) Guidance Note on regional solid waste management to facilitate the creation of appropriate strategies by the states and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). This note is the result of work done over a period of about 18 months, and aims to support decision making towards the implementation of regional arrangements for safe treatment and disposal of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). Its main objective is to propose an enabling policy framework that would provide guidance and direction in planning, development, implementation and management of such Regional MSW Projects in the country. It is expected that Regional MSW Projects will enable Authorities to aggregate the waste quantities generated across their respective jurisdictions in order to take advantage of economies of scale in transportation, processing and disposal of MSW; reduce the financial and technical burden on each individual Authority and help the Authorities discharge their obligation for MSW management in a cost-effective manner with better technologies; result in more efficient use of land and other scarce natural resources within the region; and enable better management and easier monitoring, with an optimal number of MSW management projects.