An Integrated SWOT Analysis of Waste Collection and Transportation Systems in Chitrakoot (UP & MP)

Abstract

This study evaluates the municipal solid waste (MSW) management system in Chitrakoot, which encompasses Nagar Palika Chitrakoot (Uttar Pradesh) and Nagar Parishad Chitrakoot (Madhya Pradesh), for the year 2024, using a structured analytical framework based on SWOT analysis. The findings highlight that waste generation has increased significantly in both municipalities due to population growth, tourism, and changing consumption patterns. Waste collection is primarily conducted through door-to-door services and manual scavenging, with the support of available sanitation workers and basic transportation services. However, the system faces significant challenges, including limited source segregation, inadequate landfill management, lack of modern treatment technologies, and insufficient infrastructure for recycling and proper disposal. Opportunities exist in adopting decentralized composting, biogas systems, waste-to-energy options, multi-bin waste sorting, and public-private partnerships, as well as in strengthening community awareness. Threats include increasing waste volumes, uncontrolled dumping, environmental pollution, poor enforcement of waste regulations, and associated health risks. Overall, this study highlights the need for modernized infrastructure, improved technology integration, policy compliance, and active community involvement to improve the sustainability and efficiency of municipal solid waste management in Chitrakoot.

Introduction

Rapid urbanization and population growth in India, coupled with economic and lifestyle changes, have intensified challenges in municipal solid waste (MSW) management. Globally, waste generation is expected to reach 3.4 billion tons by 2050, highlighting the need for sustainable waste management systems. In India’s Chitrakoot region, MSW management is complicated by semi-arid climate, pilgrimage-related population influx, and limited resources.

SWOT Analysis for MSWM in Chitrakoot:

• Strengths (23.1%): Positive aspects include established waste collection centers, door-to-door waste collection, low-cost composting, awareness programs, and a dedicated workforce.

• Weaknesses (30.8%): Major shortcomings are inefficient dumping and street cleaning, poor food waste sorting, limited recycling, insufficient waste bins, unscientific disposal, and lack of advanced processing technology.

• Opportunities (26.9%): Potential improvements include installing biogas units, government and industry support, a five-bin segregation system, waste-to-energy projects, public-private partnerships, and community awareness programs.

• Threats (19.2%): Risks involve environmental pollution from open dumping, rising waste generation, health hazards, ineffective policy implementation, and uncontrolled urban waste.

Methodology:

• Assessment covered waste generation, composition, collection, separation, transportation, and disposal.

• Data was collected via structured questionnaires from municipal officers, sanitation workers, residents, and contractors.

• Weighted scoring revealed that weaknesses dominate the system, while opportunities and existing strengths provide guidance for improvement.

Key Findings:

• MSWM in Chitrakoot has foundational strengths but significant operational gaps.

• Strategic interventions, including technology adoption, public-private cooperation, and community participation, are essential for sustainable waste management.

• The overall weighted score of the system is 4.846/10, indicating moderate performance with room for improvement.

Conclusion

The comprehensive assessment, based on a SWOT analysis of municipal solid waste management in Chitrakoot (Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh) for 2024 and supported by a structured survey of municipal staff, sanitation workers, households, and local stakeholders, highlights significant operational strengths but also reveals significant systemic limitations. In Nagar Palika Chitrakoot (Uttar Pradesh), total annual waste generation reached 5,007.94 ton/year with an average daily production of 13.88 ton/day reflecting rapid urban growth, tourism pressure, and changing consumption patterns. In Nagar Parishad Chitrakoot (M.P.), annual MSW generation is approximately 1,176.32 tons/year corresponding to a daily waste load of approximately 3.22 tons/day indicating a lower but steadily increasing waste flow. The questionnaire responses further reinforced the observed shortcomings in waste separation practices, transportation efficiency, workforce skills, and public participation, while also validating the strengths of well-established door-to-door collection systems and the availability of trained healthcare workers. Major weaknesses, such as limited waste separation, inadequate landfill management, insufficient treatment technologies, and low recycling capacity, continue to limit the system\'s efficiency. Opportunities such as decentralized composting, biogas production, the adoption of waste-to-energy systems, multi-container systems, and public-private partnerships offer significant potential for modernization. Meanwhile, increasing waste volumes, unregulated dumping, poor regulatory enforcement, and environmental health risks pose persistent threats. Overall, the findings demonstrate that while a basic framework for municipal solid waste management (MSWM) exists in both ULBs, the questionnaire-based perspectives emphasize the urgent need for infrastructure improvements, science-based treatment facilities, better technology integration, stronger policy enforcement, and active community engagement to achieve a sustainable and resilient waste management system for Chitrakoot.

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Yoshita Ray, G. S. Gupta, Vandna Pathak. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.