Impact of Socio-economic Profile on Municipal Solid waste Generation: A Study of Baramulla district of Jammu & Kashmir, India
Document Type : Full length Research Original Article
Authors: Sheikh Mubarek Gul* and Deeksha Dave**
*Research Scholar, SOITS, IGNOU, India. **Assistant Professor, SOITS, IGNOU, India.
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.19904.20489 
Key words: Municipal Solid waste, Socio-economic, Baramulla, waste generation, kuppuswamy scale
Abstract
Municipal Solid Waste Management is one of the major environmental challenges in most of the cities of the developing countries like India. Economic development, improved standard of living and urbanization have led to an increase in the quantity and complexity of the waste produced. Environmental sustainability demands proper Municipal Solid waste management system. MSWM is a public service, providing citizens with a system of disposing off their waste in an environmentally sound and economically feasible way. The current study examines the generation of municipal solid waste based on several socioeconomic factors such as education, occupation, family income, and the number of family members. The socioeconomic stratification was based on Kupuswamy’s Socioeconomic Status Scale 2020 (SES), which divides a society into five socioeconomic groups: higher socioeconomic group (HSEG), upper middle socioeconomic group (UMSEG), middle socioeconomic group (MSEG), lower middle socioeconomic group (LMSEG), and lower socioeconomic group (LSEG). In Baramulla Town (Study area), a questionnaire survey was done to identify the various socio-economic classes, and ten families from each class were chosen randomly and the solid waste generated by them was quantified. The paper revealed that the Middle socioeconomic category was found to be generating the maximum garbage (581g/c/d). The study also showed that biodegradable waste comprised of the major share (57%), in all the four income groups. The study is the first of its kind in the sample area and provides insights on the role of various socioeconomic parameters on the generation of household waste.
Main Subject: Solid Waste and Management; Environmental Sciences
