Title: Performance assessment of urban municipal solid waste management services in an Indian state

Author (s):: Vishwakarma A.; Kulshrestha M.; Kulshreshtha M.

Journal: Journal of Solid Waste Technology and Management

Month and Year: August 2015

Abstract: This paper endeavors to evolve a framework for assessing efficiencies of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) services in the urban areas of Madhya Pradesh, India. The municipal waste management in India is an essential function of the urban local government, and managing the waste remains a major problem across urban centers of all sizes. The sector is widely perceived to be misgoverned, although the efficiencies of these services have never been measured. The present work uses a non-parametric approach, the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), and applies three input oriented DEA Models to estimate the technical efficiencies of municipal solid waste management utilities of selected 22 urban cities/towns in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The results of the analysis indicate that municipal operations with respect to solid waste management are highly inefficient. The larger cities exhibit better efficiencies relative to smaller cities in most cases, the latter requiring greater policy interventions. DEA results indicate that significant savings with respect to cost and employee staffing are possible if these inefficiencies are mitigated by replicating the best practices identified in the analysis. Results of the study are discussed in the context of policy issues relevant from a developing country perspective.

Document Type: Article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5276/JSWTM.2015.275