Waste Management in Malegaon: Environmental and Administrative Perspectives

This study reviews 50 published works on solid waste management (SWM), focusing on their methodological and technological foundations. The findings highlight that while research has contributed significantly to assessing the environmental impacts of poor waste management practices, developing countries continue to face unique and complex challenges. Globally, SWM is becoming an increasingly critical issue due to rapid urbanization, shifting consumption patterns, and rising health and environmental risks. In industrialized nations, systems - based approaches and engineered solutions have supported effective waste management since the 1960s. However, in developing countries, including India, the SWM sector still largely relies on collection and disposal, with minimal focus on waste segregation, recycling, or treatment. The case of Malegaon City exemplifies these issues. Here, the municipality's waste management approach is limited to basic collection and disposal. Decomposable waste is treated via vermicomposting, but non - decomposable waste is neither processed nor managed sustainably. Moreover, there is no systematic waste segregation at the source, and waste from households, industries, hospitals, and commercial establishments is disposed of at common sites. Revenue generation from waste remains an untapped opportunity. These gaps highlight the need for integrated and sustainable SWM practices tailored to the socio - economic realities of developing urban centres like Malegaon.