Copyright © 2025 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

@article{187879,
        author = {Rahul Singh and Sanchit Shrivastava},
        title = {Assessment of Solid Waste Management Practices in Guwahati City},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2025},
        volume = {12},
        number = {6},
        pages = {6975-6983},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=187879},
        abstract = {Rapid urbanization and rising population densities have intensified municipal solid waste challenges in Guwahati, a key urban hub and gateway to Northeast India. The city’s system contends with unscientific disposal, weak source segregation, limited community engagement, and institutional and infrastructural constraints. This paper presents an assessment of Guwahati’s SWM practices—covering waste generation patterns, collection efficiency, segregation behavior, institutional performance, and environmental impacts—based on field surveys, stakeholder interviews, and secondary data. A SWOT lens is used to surface operational and governance gaps that perpetuate open dumping and ecological risks near sensitive receptors.
Primary findings indicate implementation shortfalls despite statutory mandates: financial and administrative limitations, low compliance with segregation, and inadequate processing capacity. At the same time, opportunities exist in decentralized treatment, PPP models, integration of the informal sector, and citizen participation to raise diversion and recovery. The analysis emphasizes a context-specific pathway that aligns circular economy principles with ward-scale interventions, translating policy targets into measurable, local outcomes. 
The study concludes that strengthening governance, recognizing the role of waste pickers, and deploying distributed composting/bio methanation with robust monitoring can move Guwahati toward sustainable, resilient SWM. The recommendations aim to guide city managers and policymakers in operationalizing inclusive strategies that reduce landfill dependence and improve environmental health.},
        keywords = {Solid Waste Management; Guwahati City; Municipal Waste; Waste Segregation; Community Participation; Urban Governance; Informal Sector; Environmental Sustainability; Circular Economy; SWM Rules 2016; Public–Private Partnerships.},
        month = {November},
        }