S Bag - Procurement Head, Tega Industries South Africa Pty Ltd, 2 Uranium Road, Vulcania, Brakpan-1541, South Afric
N. Mondal - Scientific Officer, Aquacheck Kolkata Laboratory, Water Quality Research Centre, EFL, P/1J, Survey Park, Ajaynagar, Kolkata-700075, W.B, India
R Dubey - HOD Science and PGT Chemistry, ST. Xaviers School, Balia, U.P, India

India is rapidly urbanizing and the class I cities contribute more than 72 percent of the total solid waste generated in urban areas. However managing solid waste scientifically has become one of the biggest challenges in front of state and local authorities. Limited space for dumping and skilled manpower is a constraint for managing the solid wastes. Illegal dumping outside cities and unscientific processing often leads to foul odor generation, leachate contaminatingthe water streams and spreading of germs detrimental to public health and society. Globally environmental scientists are looking for innovative and sustainable methods for recovering the useful components from waste consisting of value and can be reused. Presently several waste to energy projects have gained popularity across the world. Unfortunately none of these practices have gained popularity in India and further motivated in pursuing the present study. The objective of the study is twofold. First authors assessed the current status of solid waste management practices in India. Secondly the leading barriers are identified and interpretive structural modeling technique is performed to identify the contextual interrelationships between leading barriers influencing the solid waste to energy programs in the country. The dependence and driving power of the barriers are further analyzed. Finally the conclusions are drawn which may assist policy makers in designing sustainable waste management programs.

Solid waste management (SWM); Waste to Energy technology; Barriers; interpretive structural modeling (ISM); Matrice d’impacts croises multiplication appliqué à un classement (MICMAC)