Authors: Sneha Bhattacharyya, Mona Iyer, Sachin.S, Rajan Rawal
Abstract:
Efficient service delivery in the Municipal Solid Waste Management sector by default implies regular waste removal from the habitation to a treatment or disposal facility. In the 21st century, such service delivery in large cities demands on the deployment of motorised vehicles for the transport of waste. However, the ULBs in India remain oblivious to the fuel consumption among the fleet deployed. This study consists of two parts addressing the fuel efficiency of MSW management in Ahmedabad. The first part of the study explores the significance of fuel consumption in the energy footprint of municipal solid waste collection through the preparation of an inventory for capturing the fuel consumption data. The second part of the study identifies fuel consumption as an evaluation criterion for energy audits within the waste collection and transportation system. The study has been executed in 4 stages involving review of relevant literature, consultations with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, data compilation, and city and ward level analysis. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses have been carried out using mapping and statistical tools. The study has revealed the impacts of various urban parameters on the fuel consumption in MSW collection. Waste collection vehicles in Ahmedabad are deployed such that 100% waste collection can be ensured resulting in the over utilisation of 1-ton capacity vehicles owing to their suitability. Service delivery parameters such as driving speed and efficient time management during the loading of waste at the point of services also influence fuel consumption in the collection process.
