Examining the Financial Governance of Municipal Solid Waste Management in India.

Abstract

India is experiencing an accelerated growth in urbanisation. With rapidly growing urban population, consumption level and overall urban economic activity, Indian cities face a serious problem of solid waste. Managing solid waste of existing nature and quantity in the cities require a massive infrastructure, capacity building and a massive campaign to drive behavioural change among people. Such a process requires huge capital investment in a sustained way along with a stable revenue source for operating expenditure done by the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). However, ULBs have been finding extremely difficult to make their ends meet, particularly in the case of Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM). There exist a range of issues related to the finances of MSWM affecting its governance. This work aims to explore the status and challenges of financial governance at the local institutions pertaining to the solid waste management. The research is largely a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis. The author uses computed data using financial documents of ULBs, supported by the semi-structured interviews of experts and practitioners. To gage public awareness and preferences in the matter, a survey on citizen stakeholders is used. Collectively, the research is meant to bring forth the insights into what ails the finances at the local level necessary for solid waste management and make relevant policy recommendations.