The waste sector has experienced greater penetration of information technology in management practices over the past few years. The government has taken key steps to improve waste management practices through flagship schemes such as the Swachh Bharat Mission, the Smart Cities Mission and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation. Meanwhile, urban local bodies have taken measures such as the deployment of smart bins, tracking of garbage pickup trucks and sanitation workers, route optimisation of trucks, and cross-checking of garbage weight to address the challenges of enforcement and transparency.
The Lucknow Municipal Corporation has installed RFID devices at the household level to ensure proper monitoring of door-to-door waste collection. Lucknow’s RFID project was inspired by the Pune Municipal Corporation’s waste management system, which includes initiatives such as GIS mapping, communication and education awareness and capacity building programmes, and the implementation of waste processing projects. Meanwhile, in Bengaluru, RFID tags have been installed in all the primary collection vehicles and secondary transportation vehicles. In another development, the Patna Municipal Corporation is planning to implement QR code-enabled door-to-door garbage collection. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has set up about 80 compactor stations and deployed more than 100 movable compactors for effective solid waste management in the city.
The integration of smart technologies into waste management practices is the way forward for cities to achieve zero discharge status. Citizens too need to ensure waste segregation at source and use mobile applications and other technologies to expedite waste management processes. Moreover, smart cities that have already launched initiatives must raise awareness about their successful new methods and technologies to enable greater uptake in other cities.
This issue of Smart Utilities showcases some of the new technologies being used for solid waste management. It also discusses the role of digitalisation in city gas distribution, as well as the key information and operational technologies and digital solutions being deployed by power utilities to streamline and automate operations. In addition, the issue highlights some of the new technologies for seawater desalination as well as cybersecurity and data privacy.