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Gwalior’s garbage problem: Millions spent, streets still dirty

Gwalior faces a waste management crisis despite efforts to improve cleanliness. Poor maintenance of dustbins, lack of accountability, and inadequate public participation contribute to the issue. Experts suggest structured reforms & better infrastructure.

By Wahid Bhat
New Update
Gwalior garbage problem1

Gwalior faces a waste management crisis. Photo credit: Ground Report.

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In the most recent Swachh Survekshan (Cleanliness Survey), Gwalior ranked sixteenth in terms of cleanliness. This annual survey, which assesses the sanitation of cities, towns, and villages across India, is the world's largest urban sanitation evaluation. Conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), the survey aims to improve urban cleanliness nationwide.

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This year, the district is striving to break into the top ten, yet the city is grappling with a significant waste mismanagement crisis. Despite spending crores over the past five years on dustbins and infrastructure, the results have fallen short. The Municipal Corporation of Gwalior faces severe challenges in its waste management system, leaving the city far from achieving the cleanliness it aspires to.

What went wrong?

Between 2018 and 2023, Gwalior installed 2,950 dustbins worth ₹2.2 crore, but most have disappeared, broken, or fallen into disrepair due to poor oversight and maintenance, as per the report of Dainik Bhaskar. Despite this, the Municipal Corporation plans to spend ₹90 lakh on 1,000 new dustbins ahead of the Swachh Survekshan survey to improve its cleanliness ranking. 

Gwalior’s waste management problems stem from poor accountability and oversight. Municipal officers responsible for dustbins have failed to keep them functional. Many were poorly installed, leaving them vulnerable to theft, vandalism, or damage from stray animals. Iron stands and pipes have been stolen for scrap, while stray animals overturn bins for food. This poor maintenance has rendered many dustbins unusable, leading to waste accumulation on streets and open spaces.

Gwalior waste
Waste Problem in Gwalior. Photo credit: Ground Report

Prem Pachauri, retired Executive Engineer at Municipal Corporation Gwalior, said, “It’s not just about installing dustbins but ensuring they last and serve their purpose.” However, the lack of regular checks and poor installation methods have undermined their effectiveness. Iron and plastic dustbins were chosen for durability, but without routine inspections to verify the strength of the stands and their installation, the bins did not last. 

Waste ‘mis’-management 

Gwalior primarily has one main dumping site located at Kedarpur, which is considered the primary landfill for the city's municipal solid waste; however, there are also reports of open dumping in various areas due to inadequate waste management practices. Municipal rules mandate dustbins every 50 meters in busy areas like markets, but reality differs. Some bins are 20 meters apart, while others are never emptied, causing them to overflow and become unusable. A flawed street-to-street collection approach hinders Gwalior’s waste management system. Waste is collected from open points rather than being sorted at the source, making efficient management difficult. 

According to the report of the Madhya Pradesh Action Plan for Solid Waste Management submitted in NGT, Gwalior has a total of 603,089 MT of legacy waste that is being remediated. The remediation work is expected to be completed by March 2025. The Gwalior Municipal Corporation has a total waste generation of 484.36 TPD. The city has an MRF facility with a capacity of 250 TPD, a compost plant with a capacity of 370 TPD, and a C&D waste processing facility with a capacity of 100 TPD.

waste  Gwalior
Gwalior has a total of 603,089 MT of legacy waste that is being remediated. Photo credit: Canva/napkin

A study published in the International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) highlights Gwalior’s challenges in managing municipal solid waste (MSW) and suggests improvement strategies.

The study says rapid urbanisation in India has pressured waste management infrastructure. Gwalior, despite being chosen for the Smart City project under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA), has struggled to address these challenges. Inadequate infrastructure and poorly managed waste have caused severe environmental and health concerns. The city's waste processing facilities can't manage the large daily waste. Gwalior generates 450 to 600 tonnes of waste daily, with dry waste accounting for about 80% and wet waste for 20%.

The Kedarpur landfill, which handles the city's waste, has a maximum capacity of 250 tonnes per day (TPD) for dry waste and 390 TPD for wet waste. However, about 400 TPD of dry waste is sent daily, overwhelming the landfill and creating hazards for residents. The unprocessed waste contributes to environmental pollution and public health issues.

Poor public participation 

The study identifies a significant lack of public participation in waste management practices, particularly waste segregation. While 68% of residents surveyed were aware of the need for waste segregation, only a small portion practised it. The survey showed that 69% of respondents used municipal vehicles to dispose of their waste, while 9% dumped waste in open spaces. This poor waste management culture has led to unsightly trash piles on the streets and in drains, exacerbating the city's pollution problem.

The study highlights the need for improved waste collection services alongside waste segregation. While 76% of residents reported regular collection, 24% mentioned irregularities. The lack of timely collection and absence of source segregation resulted in open dumping in unmonitored spaces, causing foul odours and breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other disease vectors.

The Municipal Corporation’s failure to manage dustbins and waste collection services stems from a lack of accountability among municipal officers.

Experts like Prem Pachauri suggest a structured approach for the city's waste management sustainability. "Quality checks and assigning responsibility to regional officers could help prevent waste," he said. Without oversight and accountability, the city will face the same challenges year after year.

Accountable maintenance practices

To address ongoing waste management issues, several measures need to be adopted, the study suggests using pre-cast concrete dustbins instead of iron and plastic ones to make them more durable. These concrete bins would be harder to steal or damage, reducing the cost of replacing them frequently. This change could help keep public places cleaner for a longer time.

Maintaining dustbins properly is also important. Municipal officers should be responsible for ensuring the bins are in good condition. Regular inspections should be done, and if any bins are broken or stolen, they should be replaced quickly to prevent waste from piling up in open spaces.

 The city needs to focus on waste segregation and composting. People should be educated about separating their waste into different categories like dry, wet, and hazardous materials. Installing colour-coded bins in all neighbourhoods can make this process easier. Additionally, composting centers should be set up to process organic waste, which can reduce landfill waste and help the environment.

Waste collection services must be improved, especially in areas where door-to-door waste collection is not available. The frequency of waste collection should be increased, and garbage trucks should be sent regularly to collect waste from different parts of the city. This would prevent waste from accumulating in streets and drains.

Despite plans to install more dustbins and improve waste collection ahead of the Swachh Survekshan survey, Gwalior's waste management problems will persist without a systemic overhaul. Installing new dustbins isn't enough; the city must address the root causes of its waste management issues, including lack of accountability, poor infrastructure, and inadequate public participation.

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