Exploring Possibilities of Upgrading Per Capita Municipal Solid Waste Estimation Methods in India

India is one of the fastest growing economies of the world, which has reflected in the steep infrastructural growth being observed in most of the Indian cities. However, the evolution of urban waste management system has not matched the fast pace of urbanization. The inefficiency of solid waste management systems could be attributed to unreliable and inaccurate estimation of municipal solid waste (MSW) generation, obtained due to lack of data on population dynamics (unpredictable rural urban migrations) and incomplete information on bulk waste from the informal sector. As per rules published by MoEF, 2000 and MoEF & CC, 2016, it is expected that all the urban local bodies should comply with the rules and manage the waste as suggested, however none of the urban local bodies managed to comply as of now. One of the reasons being inappropriate estimation of MSW and therefore, in the present study, using a case study of Pune City, the 8th largest metro city in India, we tried to highlight the inconsistency and unreliability of currently used methods for per capita estimation of MSW generation. We have also analysed available data to see how integration of informal waste sector could help in predicting more accurate estimates. We suggest derivation of more robust, scientific and standardised method at national level and integration of informal sector in to the mainstream waste management system, which will help municipal authorities and policy makers in India to formulate effective strategies for value recovery form wastes and protection of environment. Keywords: Municipal Solid Waste; Per Capita; Estimations; Informal Sector; Planning