DEVELOPMENT OF EFFICIENT SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN A TOWN AREA OF GUJARAT STATE : MAHISAGAR DISTRICT

Urbanization leads directly to waste generation, and unscientific management of waste creates health risks and deterioration of the urban environment. Unlike Western countries, Asian cities' solid waste mostly consists of 70–80% organic matter, soil, and dust. With increasing urbanization, changing lifestyles, and increasing consumerism, solid waste management, which is already a mammoth task in India, will become more complicated. Financial constraints, structural deficiencies, poor technology choice, and public apathy to Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) have compounded that. The existing practice of unregulated waste disposal in the outskirts of cities/towns has created a significant environmental and public health crisis. This paper provides a study of MSW generation and composition in Lunawada town, Mahisagar district of India, including an overview of the current state of MSW management, an outline of existing problems in MSW processing, separation, recycling and disposal, and some suggestions for potential improvement of MSW systems.