With plastic waste clogging the drains, just a pre-monsoon shower was enough to flood parts of Mumbai a few weeks ago, with plastic waste often clogging the drains. This is not an isolated incident. Across Indian cities, growing waste is a major concern and its poor management is becoming an urban emergency. Urban India now produces over 62 million tonnes of solid waste each year, a figure projected to rise to 165 million tonnes by 2030.
The growing gap between waste generation and its proper management threatens to disrupt civic services and turn open burning into a major urban issue. With more than 877 million people expected to live in Indian cities by 2050, managing waste effectively is critical to building resilient and healthy cities.
While flagship initiatives like the Swachh Bharat Mission have pushed waste treatment from 18 percent in 2014 to 55 percent in 2021, systemic gaps still persist. Its second phase envisions ‘garbage-free cities’ by eliminating open dumping, ensuring 100 percent scientific treatment and remediating legacy waste from existing dumpsites. Cities like Indore, Navi Mumbai and Surat are now setting national benchmarks by aligning with these targets through sustained leadership, citizen participation and robust infrastructure. Analysis by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) of well-performing cities under the Swachh Survekshan survey highlights the importance of diagnosing the root causes of persistent urban waste challenges. We recommend four interventions.
First, urban local bodies (ULB) must urgently develop clear waste reduction strategies and set measurable targets. Reducing garbage at the source is among the most effective ways to manage the growing burden of urban waste. Take Pune, for example—it has committed to a 25 percent reduction in waste by 2025 (compared to 2017 levels) and incentivises citizens through measures such as a 10 percent property tax rebate for green practices like home composting. In Delhi, the municipal corporation is developing zero-waste institutions and also recognising them by providing awards.
Such initiatives are not just symbolic. When targets are scaled across residential societies, offices, and institutions, they can shift public behaviour and build momentum for systemic change. But such a change won’t take root without citizen buy-in. ULBs must take the lead in creating platforms that empower people to act—through grievance portals, incentives, accessible infrastructure and sustained awareness campaigns.
Second, ensure at least four-way segregation across the entire waste supply chain. Proper segregation—separating dry, wet, domestic hazardous and sanitary waste—is foundational and is mandated under India’s Solid Waste Management Rules. But implementation remains a big hurdle. Without consistent segregation throughout the entire supply chain—from households to waste processing sites—resource recovery remains inefficient and hazardous. Cities are struggling to ensure segregation levels, with average segregation in ULBs standing at 33 percent. But there are shoots of hope. Delhi, in its latest clean air action plan, has set a target of achieving 85 percent segregation. Some of the cleanest cities, like Indore, achieved over 98 percent segregation levels by combining public engagement with enforcement, infrastructure and tech-enabled monitoring. The ULBs must monitor ward-level data and intervene swiftly where systems break down. Segregation success must become a point of civic pride not a bureaucratic checkbox.
Third, draw up plans to handle recovered and inert waste after bioremediation. This shouldn’t lead to dumpsites. Under the second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission, over 2,400 dumpsites are slated for remediation, covering 15,000 acres and 2,300 lakh tonnes of legacy waste across the country. Cities need to expedite the remediation process to meet the target by the end of 2026 and must ensure recovered material is safe, traceable, and put to productive use. Ahmedabad offers a model— its municipal corporation uses inert material for road construction and as fuel in nearby cement plants. Treating ongoing waste scientifically is equally essential to prevent the creation of new dump sites while remediating the legacy waste. Recent CEEW analysis estimates converting organic waste into compressed biogas could generate an annual economic value of ₹2,800 crore, create around 49,000 jobs by 2030, and cut 44 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Fourth, leverage India’s digital infrastructure to monitor waste management and build trust. The Smart Cities Mission has equipped 100 cities with Integrated Command and Control Centres, which can monitor garbage vulnerable points, optimise collection, track vehicles, and flag fire hazards at treatment facilities and dump sites. Citizen-facing platforms like the Swachhata app and MCD 311 allow the reporting of grievances like illegal garbage dumping, missed pickups, and citizen feedback on local waste services. They must be actively promoted and grievances must be resolved in a timely and transparent manner.
Urban waste is not just a logistical problem—it’s a political and social one.For “garbage-free” cities, we must go beyond surface-level fixes. The ULBs must look deeper and focus on upstream waste reduction and downstream management in tandem. Resident welfare associations, faith leaders, businesses, lawmakers and citizens must all play their part.
Adeel Khan | Programme Associate at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water
Priyanka Singh | Programme Lead at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water
(Views are personal)