Strategies for Integrated Municipal Solid Waste Management Plan for Sambalpur Municipal Corporation

Abstract

Rapid urban growth has increased the amount of municipal solid waste in cities like Sambalpur, creating challenges in collection, segregation, and disposal. At present, the waste management system faces issues such as lack of proper segregation at source, inefficient collection methods, and limited data on waste composition. This study focuses on developing a smart and data-driven solid waste management framework for Sambalpur, with special attention to household waste. The research includes field surveys to understand the type and quantity of waste generated, along with an analysis of existing waste management practices. Based on the waste composition, suitable treatment methods such as composting, recycling and waste-to-energy are identified. The study also explores the use of smart technologies like IoT-based bins and GIS-based route planning to improve efficiency and monitoring. By combining data analysis, resource recovery, waste to energy and technology, the study aims to create a more sustainable and efficient waste management system. The findings will help in better planning, reducing environmental impact, and promoting the concept of waste as a resource in urban areas.

Introduction

The text discusses the growing solid waste management crisis in Sambalpur, Odisha (India) and proposes a data-driven approach to improve its handling using surveys, spatial analysis, and planning tools.

Urban India generates massive amounts of waste, and cities like Sambalpur face serious challenges due to rapid population growth, weak infrastructure, poor waste segregation, and limited use of technology. Although municipal efforts like door-to-door collection exist, the system remains inefficient and unplanned, risking non-compliance with national regulations such as the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 and Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM-U 2.0).

The study aims to design an integrated and sustainable waste management system by:

• Assessing waste generation and composition across wards
• Studying resource recovery potential
• Comparing current practices with best practices
• Proposing an improved management strategy aligned with national rules

Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC), covering 41 wards, is experiencing rapid population growth, projected to reach ~4.5 lakh people by 2026, leading to increasing waste generation and pressure on infrastructure.

The literature review highlights that:

• Most Indian cities produce a high share of biodegradable waste (~50–55%), suggesting composting is suitable
• Weak segregation and unmanaged dumping remain major issues
• Smart technologies (GPS tracking, IoT, route optimization) can significantly improve efficiency
• Decentralized composting and resource recovery (like RDF for industries) are effective solutions

The methodology combines household surveys, secondary data analysis, and GIS-based spatial mapping. It also evaluates infrastructure gaps using CPHEEO benchmarks for vehicles, workers, and service coverage.

Key findings show:

• Waste generation is rising sharply from 110 TPD (2021) to 196 TPD (2026)
• A projected shortfall of ~66 TPD capacity by 2026
• Per capita waste is increasing to 0.58 kg/person/day
• Waste generation varies significantly across wards, with a few high-density wards contributing disproportionately

Conclusion

This study looks at the solid waste generation in Sambalpur Municipal Corporation. It checks the composition of the waste how it is collected and what is missing in terms of infrastructure. The study then creates a plan to manage the waste in a way keeping in mind the specific needs of Sambalpur Municipal Corporation and the amount of waste it will generate by 2026. Several things are clear from this study. First Sambalpur Municipal Corporation generates a lot of solid waste about 196 tonnes per day. This is 0.58 kilograms of municipal solid waste per person per day. By 2026 this number is expected to increase to 262 tonnes per day which\'s a big jump. This means that Sambalpur Municipal Corporation needs to improve its infrastructure to handle the municipal solid waste. Second most of the solid waste in Sambalpur Municipal Corporation is wet and can be broken down. This type of solid waste is about 55% of the total municipal solid waste generated. This means that Sambalpur Municipal Corporation should focus on composting and using biogas units to manage the solid waste. However, Sambalpur Municipal Corporation does not have enough of these facilities. It needs Micro Composting Centres to manage the municipal solid waste. Third people in Sambalpur Municipal Corporation are not separating their solid waste. 99% Of households do not separate their municipal solid waste, which is a big problem. This is because they do not have the bins and they are not aware of the importance of separating municipal solid waste. Sambalpur Municipal Corporation needs to educate people about the importance of separating solid waste and provide them with the right bins. Fourth Sambalpur Municipal Corporation does not have workers to collect the municipal solid waste from people’s homes. This means that not all households get their municipal solid waste collected every day. Fifth people in Sambalpur Municipal Corporation are willing to use their phones to help manage the municipal solid waste. They are also willing to pay for the services. This is a thing because it means that Sambalpur Municipal Corporation can use technology to manage the municipal solid waste in a better way. The study identifies some areas in Sambalpur Municipal Corporation that need attention. These areas are Wards 1, 15, 22, 32, and 40. They generate a lot of solid waste and need better infrastructure to manage it. The plan proposed in this study can help Sambalpur Municipal Corporation manage its solid waste in a better way. It suggests a step-by-step approach to separate solid waste use technology to collect it and build more facilities to process it. This plan can help Sambalpur Municipal Corporation follow the rules and regulations for managing solid waste. This study is important because it provides a plan for managing municipal solid waste in Sambalpur Municipal Corporation. It can also be used as a model for cities in India that are facing similar problems, with municipal solid waste management.

References

[1] Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). (2021). Annual Report on Municipal Solid Waste Management in India, 2020–21. Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India, New Delhi. [2] Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC). (2016). Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II – Section 3 – Sub-section (i). Government of India, New Delhi. [3] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). (2022). Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0 – Operational Guidelines. MoHUA, Government of India, New Delhi. [4] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). (2023). Swachh Survekshan 2023 – Assessment Framework and Results. Government of India, New Delhi. [5] Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO). (2016). Manual on Municipal Solid Waste Management. Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, New Delhi. [6] National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI). (2019). National Waste Characterisation Study of Municipal Solid Waste across Indian Cities. NEERI-CSIR, Nagpur. [7] Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. (2011). Primary Census Abstracts – Sambalpur. Census of India 2011, Government of India, New Delhi. [8] Sharholy, M., Ahmad, K., Mahmood, G., and Trivedi, R.C. (2008). Municipal solid waste management in Indian cities – a review. Waste Management, 28(2), 459–467. [9] Kumar, S. and Gaikwad, S.A. (2004). Municipal solid waste management in Indian urban centres: an approach for betterment. Urban Development Debates in the New Millennium, Gyan Publishing House, New Delhi. [10] Sharma, K.D. and Chandel, M.K. (2017). Analysis of barriers to implement solid waste management actions in an emerging Indian metropolis. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. [11] Vijay, R., Gupta, A., Kalamdhad, A.S., and Devotta, S. (2008). Estimation and allocation of solid waste to community bins using geographical information system. Waste Management and Research. [12] Rathi, S. (2007). Optimisation model for integrated municipal solid waste management in Mumbai, India. Environment and Development Economics. [13] Pardini, K., Rodrigues, J.J.P.C., Kozlov, S.A., Kumar, N., and Furtado, V. (2019). IoT-based solid waste management solutions: a survey. Journal of Sensor and Actuator Networks, MDPI. [14] Joshi, R. and Ahmed, S. (2016). Status and challenges of municipal solid waste management in India: a review. Cogent Environmental Science, Taylor & Francis. [15] Odisha Urban Development Authority (OUDA). (2022). Urban Development Profile – Sambalpur. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Government of Odisha, Bhubaneswar. [16] Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). (2005). IS 15530: Indian Standard for Solid Waste – Test Methods for Characterisation. BIS, Government of India, New Delhi.

Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Ankit Pradhan, Santosh Kumar, Samikshya Pradhan. 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.