Innovative approaches to solid waste management in India

INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENTDeveloping a Solid Waste Management Strategyfor TiruppurAs a demonstration city, the municipality of Tiruppurhas worked closely with the FIRE(D) Project onstrengthening of municipal administration, rangingfrom municipal accounting to identification of the city’sinfrastructure needs and priorities. The FIRE(D) Projecthas also assisted the partners of the Tiruppur Area DevelopmentProgram – The Tiruppur Exporters Association,Infrastructure Leasing and Financial ServicesLimited, and the New Tiruppur Area DevelopmentCorporation Limited – in the development of a watersupply and sewerage system which will benefit thecity’s growing industries as well as currently unservedconsumers in low income communities of the city andsurrounding villages.In light of growing solid waste management challengesin the city, the FIRE(D) Project sponsored a study tourfor municipal officials and elected women councilors,many of whom represent low income communities, tovisit innovative solid waste projects in Ahmedabad andSurat in 1997. Building on this experience, the Projectsponsored an assessment of Tiruppur’s solid waste situation.The assessment highlighted problems such as insufficientstorage and segregation of recyclables; lack of primarycollection; and irregular delivery of services suchas sweeping. It also pointed to the unscientific disposalof waste as an environmental health threat, and the inadequateadministrative capacity of the city. The assessmentresulted in recommendations for improvingsolid waste management in Tiruppur.During a two-day workshop in early 1998, a solid wastemanagement strategy was discussed and developed,and this strategy was unanimously approved by themunicipal council. The strategy adopted by the councilcalls for a reorganization of the city’s solid wastemanagement department and augmentation of its staffand also outlines a plan for disposal that utilizescomposting, new sanitary landfills and incineration.With an overall estimated cost of Rs. 8.77 crores, a newcomposting facility is to be developed by the privatesector on a build-own-operate basis at a cost of Rs. 4.5crores, and privatized management of an incinerationfacility for biomedical waste is planned. An Action Planfor implementing the strategy is now under development.~~~~~~~~~This Project Note is based on two FIRE(D) ProjectTechnical Reports: Private Sector Participation in SolidWaste Collection and Transportation by Chetan Vaidya;and Workshop on Solid Waste Management in Tiruppur,by P.U. Asnani.Page 4Indo-USFinancial InstitutionsReform and Expansion Project -Debt Market ComponentFIRE(D)The mission of the Indo-US FIRE (D)Project is tofoster the development of a commercially viableurban infrastructure finance system to financeimprovements in environmental services for allcitizens, including the urban poor. It is beingimplemented through four objectives:• Development of commercially viable urban environmentalinfrastructure projects in selecteddemonstration cities;• Development of a commercially viable urbanenvironmental infrastructure finance system;• Improvement of municipal financial managementas well as the administration of environmentalservices in demonstration cities;• Strengthening the capacity of public and privatesector professionals and technicians toachieve these objectives.This new approach, which emphasizes commercialviability, enables Indian cities and urban authoritiesto respond more effectively to the greatestneeds: increasing access to services and improvingservice levels. Significant benefits forthe poor, in particular, can be achieved througha commercial orientation.USAID is assisted in implementation of thisproject by Community Consulting International(CCI), a US firm with an office located in NewDelhi. This assistance is provided through a taskorder issued by USAID under its contract withthe International City/County Management Association(ICMA).Community Consulting International, IndiaE 3/4 Vasant ViharNew Delhi 110 054, IndiaTel: (91-11) 614-3551 or 614-9836Fax: (91-11) 614-1420 or 614-4480Regional Urban Development OfficeUSAID/New DelhiB-28 Institutional AreaNew Delhi 110 016, IndiaCommunity Consulting International1012 N Street, NWWashington, DC 20001-4297, USAFunded under USAID Contract#PCE-Q-00-95-00002, Task Order #810The Project Notes series is edited and producedby Laurie de Freese.