India's Principal Scientific Adviser Ajay Kumar Sood reviewed a new framework for optimizing solid waste management in cities. The project, developed by IISc Bengaluru, IIT Madras, and IIT (BHU) Varanasi, includes a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework and a web-based greenhouse gas calculator for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). It helps cities compare waste treatment technologies like anaerobic digestion, waste-to-energy, composting, and landfilling based on carbon footprint. The GHG calculator provides emissions data for methane, CO2, NOx, and black carbon, along with net and avoided emissions. Case studies from Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, and other cities were presented. The goal is to help ULBs plan low-carbon waste systems aligned with the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban.
