Increasing industrialization, urbanization and changes in the pattern of life give rise to generation of increasing quantities of solid waste leading to increased threats to the environment. Solid waste includes household garbage, rubbish, construction and demolition debris, sanitation residues, trade and industrial refuse and bio-medical solid waste. Solid Waste Management (SWM) has three basic components, namely, collection, transportation and disposal. The objective of SWM is to reduce the quantity of solid waste disposed off on land by recovery of materials and energy from solid waste in a cost effective and invironment friendly manner. As per Muncipal Solid Wastes (Management an Handling) Rules, 2000 (MSW Rules) of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), every muncipal authority is responsible for collection, segregation, storage, transportation, processing and disposal of the municipal waste. In light of the above mentioned scenario, the paper focuses on the practices of disposal of solid waste adopted by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) in Vijayawada City (Andhra Pradesh).
