Environmentally Sound Management of Municipal Solid Waste

The city of Kandy is the capital of the Central Province & Kandy District of Sri Lanka. Home to over 110,000 people, the city is undergoing rapid urbanization & growth. As large numbers of people move into the city,from other areas of the Island, the city faces many environmental strains. The management of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) stands out as an area that needs attention without delay. Over the last few decades, economic growth and globalization have changed people's consumption patterns, and there by elevated the rate of waste generation. More & more waste and less means to manage them have lead to a major problem for Kandy. Improper management of MSW not only causes health,environmental & other impacts but in the long run is believed to also be responsible for the rapid spread of the Dengue virus in the last decade.The infrastructure for Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) for the city is set up and implemented by the Kandy Municipal Council (KMC). This study evaluates this MSWM system in order to deduce what the existing problems are & provide recommendations that would enable KMC to make environmentally sound changes to improve this process & keep Kandy clean.