Matrix method for evaluation of existing solid waste management system in Himachal Pradesh, India

Effective management of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is an essential function of the city municipal corporation. The present study reports on the existing solid waste management practices in four major cities of Himachal Pradesh (Sunder Nagar, Mandi, Baddi and Solan) in India, and suggests solutions for better management of the MSW generated at these locations. The overall generation of Municipal Solid Waste in Himachal Pradesh (HP) is 350 tons per day (TPD) of which the selected sites accounts for about 25% of the total MSW generated in the state. The collection efficiency of generated MSW in the study regions varies from 60 to 70%. Evaluation of the existing Solid Waste Management (SWM) practices at these study locations was determined using the ‘wasteaware’ benchmark indicators, which incorporate parameters integrating both qualitative and quantitative indicators for comparing the efficiency of municipal solid waste management system. Further, a simple matrix method has been utilized for comparing the efficiency of the management of the MSW generated at these four selected sites in Himachal Pradesh. Using the matrix method, it was observed that Sunder Nagar and Mandi towns received an overall score of 36% and Solan and Baddi 32%, respectively. The overall results suggest that existing solid waste management practices in four study locations are very poor and need considerable improvement. Some key recommendations have been proposed for the better management MSW at the four study locations in HP.