Identifying Municipal Solid Waste Dumping Site Location Using AHP and GIS Techniques: A Case Study of Coimbatore District, India

Increased municipal solid waste generation in urban areas is a result of fast population growth and urbanization. Dumping or landfilling in unsuitable areas becomes the biggest concern for solid waste management authorities. The present dump yard at Vellalore, Coimbatore district, affect nearby settlements with a foul stench and flying ashes due to strong winds. The study’s main goal was to provide alternative landfilling sites in the Coimbatore district using GIS and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) techniques. Nine criteria were considered. These were population density, slope, geology, geomorphology, land use/land cover, and proximity to road, river, railway, and airport. Weighted overlay, a spatial analyst tool that reclassifies raster maps and a final suitability map, is generated. According to the findings, the possible landfill zones were found in the northeastern region of Coimbatore. Hence, the environmentally suitable sites can be selected by using remote sensing and GIS techniques.