Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Launches Digital Platform to Optimise Waste Management in Cities

Key Highlights:

• The Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, launched a digital platform and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework.
• The initiative aims to optimize Solid Waste Management (SWM) in cities and reduce carbon footprints for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
• The project developed a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) calculator web application, supported by IISc Bengaluru, IIT Madras, and IIT (BHU) Varanasi.
• It aligns with national missions like the Waste to Wealth Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban.

Detailed Insights:

• The project, supported by the Office of the PSA in 2024, developed a contextual LCA framework and GHG calculator for India.
• The GHG calculator app helps ULBs plan, compare, and optimize SWM systems by quantifying emissions.
• It analyzes emissions from common waste management processes including anaerobic digestion, incineration, composting, recycling, and landfilling.
• The app provides data on net emissions, avoided emissions, logistic emissions, carbon footprint, and specific GHGs like methane, CO2, NOx, and black carbon.
• It can be used for environmental assessment of new projects, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), and mandatory environmental performance metrics for tenders.
• The tools provide a science-backed basis for ULBs to transition towards smart, resilient, and low-emission SWM systems.
• The project also proposed strategic recommendations and a national roadmap for climate-resilient waste management.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): A methodology to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product's or process's life.
• Solid Waste Management (SWM): The systematic process of collecting, treating, and disposing of solid waste materials.
• Greenhouse Gas (GHG) calculator: A digital tool used to estimate and quantify the emissions of greenhouse gases from specific activities or processes.
• Urban Local Bodies (ULBs): Governmental bodies responsible for the administration of urban areas in India.