Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, launched a digital platform and Life Cycle Assessment framework to optimize waste management in Indian cities. The initiative, aligned with the Waste to Wealth Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, was developed through a project supported by the Office of the PSA in 2024 and jointly undertaken by IISc Bengaluru, IIT Madras, and IIT (BHU) Varanasi.
The project developed a contextual and nationally relevant Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework along with a GHG calculator web application specifically designed for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). The tool helps ULBs plan, compare, and optimize solid waste management systems with lower carbon footprints by analyzing emissions from existing practices and evaluating alternative waste management pathways.
The GHG calculator app features common waste management processes including anaerobic digestion, incineration (waste-to-energy), composting, recycling, and landfilling. It provides detailed emissions data including net emissions, avoided emissions, logistic emissions, carbon footprint, and different GHG emission metrics (methane, carbon dioxide, NOx, black carbon). The application enables ULBs to visualize best practice waste management scenarios that result in minimum GHG emissions and can be used for environmental assessment of new projects, detailed project reports from consultants, and filling mandatory environmental performance metrics required for tenders.
The project findings are based on LCA studies covering a wide range of waste management technologies, supported by case studies from six cities: Bengaluru, Mysuru, Tumakuru, Chennai, Delhi, and Varanasi. The research included detailed LCA insights into Indian SWM technologies such as biomining, anaerobic digestion, waste-to-energy, and landfilling.
Prof. Sood emphasized that these tools provide ULBs with a science-backed basis for planning and support their transition toward smart, resilient, and low-emission solid waste management systems across the country. Dr. Maini highlighted the project's alignment with Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban and stressed the need for institutional mechanisms to support wider implementation of such solutions.
The project also proposed strategic recommendations for improving the efficiency of existing and future SWM systems, along with a national roadmap for India's transition toward climate-resilient, low-emission waste management. The comprehensive report titled 'Development of LCA Framework for Solid Waste Management (SWM) Technologies in India' was released during the meeting held on September 16, 2026.