IoT-Enabled Services for Sustainable Municipal Solid Waste Management in India

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5
IoT-Enabled Services for Sustainable
Municipal Solid Waste Management in India
Hrishikesh Chandra Gautam, Vinay Yadav, and Vipin Singh
CONTENTS
5.1 Introduction..................................................................................................83
5.2 Municipal Solid Waste Management in India.........................................84
5.3 Internet of Things (IoT) ...............................................................................85
5.4 IoT Applications in MSW Management ...................................................85
5.5 Structure of IoT Framework .......................................................................88
5.5.1 Perception Layer...............................................................................88
5.5.2 Network Layer..................................................................................89
5.5.3 Middleware Layer............................................................................89
5.5.4 Application Layer.............................................................................90
5.5.5 Business Layer..................................................................................90
5.6 IoT-Based SWM Application in Indian Cities .......................................... 90
5.6.1 Bengaluru..........................................................................................90
5.6.2 Vijaywada.......................................................................................... 91
5.6.3 Surat................................................................................................... 92
5.6.4 Vapi ....................................................................................................93
5.6.5 Bhopal................................................................................................93
5.6.6 Indore.................................................................................................94
5.7 Conclusions...................................................................................................94
References...............................................................................................................95
5.1 Introduction
Rapid urbanization and industrial development have led to an increase in
material consumption due to afuent lifestyles, and as a result increases in
per capita municipal solid waste (MSW) have been generated (Yadav et al.,
2016, 2020). The increase in the amount of solid waste generated has turned
efcient and sustainable management of solid waste into a challenge. The
complex system of solid waste management (SWM), which comprises ef-
cient collection and segregation to proper disposal, reuse, and recycling of
DOI: 10.1201/9781003184096 -5 83

84 IoT-Based Smart Waste Management for Environmental Sustainability
the waste generated, is facing challenges due to increases in population and
solid waste quantities. These challenges are faced by ofcials from sanita-
tion departments, city municipalities, decision makers, as well as ordinary
citizens on a daily basis. A lot of studies have been done in recent decades
in various elds, ranging from efcient collection and disposal to the eco-
nomic sustainability of the collection process (Yadav et al., 2021). In the stud-
ies, the SWM infrastructure in developing countries like India is found to be
improper and inadequate compared to developed countries in the West. The
problem is compounded by the momentous growth in population and afu-
ent lifestyle of the population.
5.2 Municipal Solid Waste Management in India
MSW Management is a challenging task due to the huge amount (85 million
tons) of municipal solid waste per year by 377 million people living in 7,935
towns and cities. Of MSW, 50% of waste is collected, 14% treated, and 36%
reaches landll sites (Samar, 2019). Per capita MSW generated in developing
countries of around 0.3–0.5 kg per person per day is smaller compared to
industrialized countries of 0.8–1.4 kg per person per day, but due to lack of
infrastructure and monetary resources it poses huge problems. According
to CPCB (2016), approximately 62 million metric tons (MT) MSW was gener-
ated yearly in India, which is ~0.45 kg per capita per day. This is expected to
increase by 165 MT, 230 MT, and 436 MT by 2030, 2041, and 2050, respectively.
About 82% of generated MWS is being collected, out of which only 28% is
treated, the remaining being openly dumped (Sharma and Jain, 2019). The
revenue allotted to SWM does not compensate the monetary requirement for
minimization and treatment of solid waste. As a cheaper option, most of the
generated waste nally goes to landll sites, but due to limitations of space
required and the increasing population the option is not sustainable for a
long duration. Apart from that, a lot of waste generated in developed coun-
tries goes to landll sites in Asian and African countries as a cheap solution,
which increases the burden on landll sites in developing and poor coun-
tries. This issue of Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) has been widely reported
in literature and increases the severity of an already dire situation (Sonak et
al., 2008; Guerrero et al., 2013).
In recent years the rise of information technology, articial intelligence
(AI), machine learning (ML), and Internet of Things (IoT) in general has
made MSW management efcient on many fronts (Atzori et al., 2010). With
the help of faster computation, involvement of big data, better maintenance
of infrastructure through efcient data handling, and understanding the
core of problems through data analytics, better handling and management
can be achieved.

85 IoT-Enabled Services in India
5.3 Internet of Things (IoT)
With the rapid rise in technology and digitalization over recent years, a
lot of devices that we commonly use in our lives as well as industries have
been replaced by so-called smart devices which possess microprocessors for
faster and more efcient utilization. These devices are normally connected to
surrounding devices through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, where data can be shared
over a network of devices and can enhance the performance of a device at an
individual as well as network level. This enhancement of performance and
connectivity lead us to the concept of IoT.
IoT can be dened as interconnecting physical devices like sensors and
actuators into wired or wireless networks for the achievement of specic
tasks (Alqahtani et al., 2019; Saha et al., 2017; Thakker et al., 2015). The inter-
connectivity helps the device to share the data and information with others
across the platform by a unied network which can enhance the efciency
of the device and perform a variety of actions to develop innovative prod-
ucts and solutions. The basic idea of IoT is to connect and share informa-
tion between radio frequency identication tags, sensors, actuators mobile
phones, and smart devices online or through ad hoc networks so that the
devices can operate more efciently and at a larger scale (Arasteh et al., 2016;
Kim et al., 2017; Anagnostopoulos et al., 2015; Kunst et al., 2018; Shyam et
al., 2017). Recent projects have also been involved in applications in smart
city development as well as industrial IoT. Even though the applications are
at a nascent stage, their potential in making our everyday life easier and
more efcient is huge. Areas where these technologies are being explored
and research is being conducted are solid waste management, health, supply
chain management, connecting houses, buildings, and cars, etc.
The issues that have to be resolved for efcient application in all these areas
include better analytic and monitoring tools for the network, efcient and
fast updating of data storage, as well as backup, security issues involving
data access and data theft, and fast internet access to all the devices at dif-
ferent times. A lot of recent applications are paying attention to these issues,
and rapid development is taking place in resolution of these issues.
5.4 IoT Applications in MSW Management
In the case of MSW, the IoT solution has been applied to a number of steps
including waste collection, transportation of waste, waste segregation, waste
recycling etc. (Weber et al., 2017; Zanella et al., 2014). Application of IoT in
efcient waste collection involves detecting the lling level, tilt, fume and
gas generation, GPS location, humidity, temperature sensing, and detection

86 IoT-Based Smart Waste Management for Environmental Sustainability
of re. If any of these parameters are not found within the desired value or
limit, the nearest person with the responsibility of MSW collection will be
prompted to take the desired steps in alleviating the issue. These parameters
have been considered in development of smart waste bins which have been
developed and are operational in some municipalities (Islam et al., 2012;
Mahajan et al., 2014; Sinha et al., 2015).
In the case of waste transportation/collection, the collection vehicle has
to traverse through the city to collect MSW disposed in bins. The IoT sys-
tem detects through sensors when a specic waste bin is lled more than a
given level and send a signal to the driver of the collection truck. The driver
gets the location of the bins which have been lled more than the desired
level and have to be emptied. A routing algorithm is applied to the location
of bins and the route traversed for the waste transportation with the least
distance and fuel expenditure, keeping in mind the trafc across the area
travelled (Arora et al., 2020; Varsha et al., 2019a, 2019b). Sensors also take
account of the amount of waste lled in the truck and the distance from
the dumping yard, keeping in mind the route, time, and duration. Sensors
can also detect the emission of ues/poisonous gases in the collected waste
(Figure 5.1).
Nidhya et al. (2020) developed an enhanced route election algorithm to
decide the path of the waste collection truck so that the truck can traverse
through the city and collect waste from smart bins lled more than 90%
using the ERS algorithm, using the shortest route thereby saving time, fuel,
and producing low emissions. In the study, they proposed a system compris-
ing smart bins, remote servers, and base station. The smart bin is equipped
with a sensor which sends a signal to the remote server through the base
FIGURE 5.1
An outline of a framework for IoT applications in the collection of processing of waste under
the solid waste management plan.

87 IoT-Enabled Services in India
station when the smart bin is lled more than 90%. The remote server is
connected to all the smart bins maintained by the city corporation. The base
station is used for referencing the smart bin and its geolocation.
The ERS algorithm rst directs the collection vehicle to the closest lled
smart bin and then directs the vehicle to the next smart bin with the short-
est travel time. Otherwise, the nearest smart bin is selected until the end of
the collection procedure. The algorithm and the collection system developed
takes care of collection and monitoring of garbage in real time, complexity
of route detection in pickup of garbage in multiple locations, as well as end-
to-end delays in data transmission between the smart bin and the remote
server.
Murugesan et al. (2019) proposed a framework-based model on waste level
detection in waste bins. The data, generated from the level of waste and
detected with sensors, is transmitted to ofcials through the internet. The
data is also used to detect unwanted waste bins which can be removed or
transferred to other locations for enhancing the route and structure of the
MSW collection network. The data is also used to understand the distribu-
tion and trends of the waste collection status and distribution to allocate
the collection manpower and resources more efciently in the future. The
spatial analysis helps in detecting unwanted waste bins and also to antici-
pate the waste collected status of waste bins area-wide. A sensor hub com-
prises a bridge rectier, step-down transformer, a channel of circuit, and a
device to regulate voltage, with data transfer through an ethernet modem
connected to Arduino UNO microcomputer board. Ultrasonic sensors are
used to detect the level to which the waste bin is lled, and the data is com-
municated to the nearest control room through an HTML based webpage.
The ultrasonic sensor uses sound waves to detect the height of waste col-
lected in the waste bin. Downpour sensors are used to detect precipitation
and IR sensors are used to detect proximity with objects kept near the waste
bin. In case of precipitation, the waste bin lid is automatically locked with
the help of motors. Another study by Malapur et al. (2017) proposed an
MSW management system to provide an optimized path for waste collec-
tion vehicles using dynamic scheduling. The waste bins provide alerts when
lled up using sensors. A user-friendly android app helps in the optimizing
collection of waste. Nirde et al. (2017) proposed an IoT-based wireless solid
waste management system for smart cities which helps municipal bodies
with continuous monitoring of the waste level in waste bins remotely, using
a web server, thereby saving time and optimizing costs. The authorities get
informed of lled waste bins through a message-using Global System for
Mobile Communications (GSM) placed in the waste bin. Garbage collection
vehicles are sent to the relevant location for waste collection. Poddar et al.
proposed an integrated system for waste management, using smart waste
bins equipped with a network of sensors. The system also transmits real-
time data indicating the waste level of the bin (Poddar et al., 2017).

88 IoT-Based Smart Waste Management for Environmental Sustainability
Kumar et al. (2016) proposed an IoT-based alert system for waste collection,
which sends an alert to the municipal web server, based on the garbage level
in dustbins, to empty the dustbins with proper verication. The system is
supported by a module integrated with RFID and IoT. Baby et al. (2017) pro-
posed a waste alert system that alerts the municipality to collect waste from
lled up waste bins. The garbage trucks are sent to only those areas with
lled garbage bins, saving time and decreasing fuel use and vehicular emis-
sions. The collected data is used to train machine-learning based models to
get an understanding of waste generation trends. The model results are used
to predict the waste bins that are going to be lled soon. Pardini et al. (2018)
proposed a smart waste bin with load cell sensors and ultrasonic sensors
used for identication, Global Positioning System (GPS) for determining the
location and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) or General
Packet Radio Service (GPRS) for communication. The study intends to con-
tribute to social, economic, and environmental management of large cities.
Even with exibility in structure of IoT devices, sensors, and sensor net-
works, there are issues related to speed in data collection, quality of data
collected, as well as connectivity across the network and data privacy (Gubbi
et al., 2017). To address these issues, standard structures consisting of vari-
ous layers have been proposed over the years. These structures are proposed
with the objective of efcient quality of standards (QoS), sustainability, data
integrity, condentiality, and reliability.
5.5 Structure of IoT Framework
The different components and layers in the IoT framework are described
below. Even though the detailed structure can vary based on application, the
overall framework follows the following structure (see Figure 5.2).
5.5.1 Perception Layer
Perception layer of IoT architecture is also dened as the physical layer of
the network as it constitutes the hardware allocated with the responsibility
of collecting data in the form of physical information, processing the data,
and transmitting it to the higher layer securely. It uses the application of sen-
sors to detect the physical information from the surrounding such as weight
temperature, humidity etc. In addition, the data can be collected through QR
codes and RFID tags. In the case of solid waste management systems, the
perception layer consists of sensors which collect the data regarding level of
waste collected, weight, humidity, presence of gas and fumes, temperature,
detection of re, precipitation, as well as nearby objects, and sends the infor-
mation to the higher layers.

89 IoT-Enabled Services in India
FIGURE 5.2
Detailed architecture of IoT infrastructure.
5.5.2 Network Layer
The network layer is responsible for collection of data from the perception
layer and transferring the data to higher layers where the processing system
for the collected data is located.
The layer uses a single or combination of different connectivity protocols
like GSM, UMTS, Wi-Fi, Infrared etc. In addition to connecting the different
components of the IoT network, the layer also has the responsibility to per-
form cloud computing tasks and overall data management.
5.5.3 Middleware Layer
This is the layer consisting of software or a set of layers used to intercon-
nect the components which are unable to communicate otherwise. The main
objective of this layer is to provide concurrency between the perception layer
and application layer so that they can interact effectively and efciently, and
it also plays in modication and development of new IoT infrastructures.

90 IoT-Based Smart Waste Management for Environmental Sustainability
5.5.4 Application Layer
This layer does not contribute to the overall structure of the IoT infrastruc-
ture directly, but it provides the various services and platforms for the users
to interact with the IoT system and access the information produced by the
infrastructure and interpret the information to take proper action. This layer
may consist of webpages, Android apps etc. or a combination of them.
5.5.5 Business Layer
This layer manages the overall IoT system including the service-related
applications and reports. This layer is responsible for providing the analysis
report of the underlying layers and over-efciency of the IoT application. The
layer also addresses issues related to connectivity, data speed, processing
time, and privacy.
5.6 IoT-Based SWM Application in Indian Cities
IoT based solutions for solid waste management have been applied to a num-
ber of Indian cities under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan Programme, opera-
tional under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA, 2019).
The solution ranges from smart waste bins using IoT-based sensors to use
of RFID tags for waste collection vehicles and automated weighbridges for
weighing the waste collected.
5.6.1 Bengaluru
The city of Bengaluru generates a large amount of waste amounting to 4,500
tons per day. The collection and transportation of waste from different loca-
tions in the city require 4,000+ primary collection vehicles (PCV) and 500+
secondary transportation vehicles (STV). IoT-based technologies have been
applied for monitoring and regularizing of the eet movement of collection
vehicles to the destinations for waste collection and recording of the tonnage
of waste delivered at designated waste collection yards as well as landlls.
All the waste collection vehicles (PCVs and STVs) under Bruhat Bengaluru
Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) are installed with RFID tags.
Installation of RFID tags ensures that only authorized vehicles are allowed
at the designated destinations and unauthorized transfer of waste can be
stopped. The RFID applications are also used to record the PCV’s/STV’s
weight at the weighbridge as an essential data eld to the scanning process.
This daily data is used for calculating payments to be given to service pro-
viders based on the waste collection vehicle’s performance. The details of all

91 IoT-Enabled Services in India
the operational waste collection vehicles are uploaded to the Auto Tipper
Registration (ATR) application by the ofcial in charge of the waste collec-
tion. The PCVs are provided with RFID tags which are xed on the vehicle
for easy and fast scanning. The RFIDs of all the PCVs are scanned at the mus-
tering point as well as the rst and second transfer points to the STVs. The
regular scanning of vehicles helps in recording vehicle attendance as well as
completion of the required number of trips for the day and transfer of waste
to the designated STVs. The RFID scanning application is installed in the
presence of authorized personnel with their approval and authentication.
Every vehicle provided with an RFID tag has to be scanned while entering
the collection/processing plants or sanitary landll. The vehicle is allowed
access after authorization through the RFID tags provided to the waste col-
lection vehicles. The data provided through RFID tags of different vehicles
is compiled and sent to the cellphones of the SWM ofcials on a daily basis.
The RFID-based monitoring with centralized control room is integrated into
the blockchain-based citizen helpline. The daily data of vehicle movement
through designated destinations and vehicle performance is analyzed at the
end of the month.
The RFID-based smart monitoring system monitors and analyses the
movement as well as performance of all the vehicles in a fast and efcient
manner. All the vehicles reach the designated destination; and there is no
possibility of data manipulation with regard to vehicle performance. The
elimination of data manipulation makes the collected data more reliable and
authentic. It enables the ofcials to analyze the number of vehicles that arrive
against the space allocated for vehicles as well as the input of waste reach-
ing the processing plants and the sanitary landlls. This helps in optimiza-
tion of vehicles, waste bins, and manpower required based on the amount
of waste transferred and total number of trips made to collect the waste. The
integrated system has improved the overall efciency of waste collection and
transportation in a seamless manner and increased the overall quality of
work for the designated ofcials.
5.6.2 Vijaywada
Vijaywada is a city in Andhra Pradesh state in India with the waste gen-
eration of 550 metric tons/day. All the solid waste management bins are
installed with RFID tags for monitoring the waste disposal and collection
process and increasing the efciency and speed of the overall process. The
RFID tags are read in a timely manner by the RFID readers, and the collec-
tion of waste from the bins with the help of the waste collection vehicle is
recorded. The movement of the waste collection vehicle between the waste
bins and waste processing plant is recorded in real time using a GPS system.
All the data collected through the IoT-based system is transferred to the cen-
tral command center where the data is processed and evaluated to analyze
the overall efciency of the system, and corrective measures are taken to

92 IoT-Based Smart Waste Management for Environmental Sustainability
enhance the efciency. The entire process of waste collection and transporta-
tion to processing sites and landll is monitored through a structured pro-
cess using IoT-enabled devices and networks. RFID tags installed on top of
each waste bin are allotted a tag with unique details (serial number, location,
collection vehicle details etc.). Once the collection vehicle reaches the loca-
tion, the driver can read the RFID tag with his RFID reader, and the infor-
mation is sent to the server with waste bin details and time of lifting, and
the database is updated. SIM-based solar close circuit TV (CCTV) cameras
which require low maintenance are installed across the city to monitor the
condition of waste bin as well as spillage of waste. The vehicular movement
is recorded using GPS-based vehicle tracking devices and updated to the
server in real time for online monitoring. Timely lifting of garbage using IoT-
based garbage monitoring saves manpower and day-to-day operating costs,
and the frequency of complaints is also reduced.
5.6.3 Surat
In Surat, a city in Gujrat state, IoT applications were developed to ensure
that the collection vehicles attend the specied route at the dened time for
collecting waste. The system was also used for measuring the performance
of vehicle/contractor and calculation of payment and penalty based on the
performance. The system is able to generate reports of the vehicle and waste
collection performance on demand.
The system monitors the vehicle in real time providing the information
of waste collection to the server. The transfer and disposal sites are also
automated to increase efciency and also minimize human intervention.
The door-to-door vehicles are installed with radio frequency identication
(RFID) tags that identify the vehicle in real time at the transfer stations and
record the weight of waste collected which is updated on the server.
The system tracks a total of 551 vehicles where GPS is used for real-
time tracking of location to check whether the door-to-door vehicle has
traversed through all the points of interest and collected waste along the
route assigned for the specic vehicle. The contractors can also be penalized
based on the number of points of interest not covered along the route. GPS
devices provide real-time monitoring information of all the door-to-door
collection vehicles to the command-and-control center of Surat Municipal
Corporation. Vehicle information and the points of interest traversed can
also be linked to the weight of collected waste automatically recorded at the
weighbridge.
The system works with minimum human intervention to provide accurate
real-time data for each vehicle at all the waste handling facilities. The system
is accountable and transparent which prevents misuse by avoiding manual
intervention. It ensures real-time coverage of all of Surat city with actionable
data for efcient decision making. The software application part of the sys-
tem is also being used for redressal of public grievances.

93 IoT-Enabled Services in India
5.6.4 Vapi
An IoT-based system for waste collection, disposal, and addressing user
complaints in real time was developed for the city of Vapi. The system is cur-
rently being used by Vapi Municipal Corporation.
The system used near eld communication (NFC) tags that were provided
to every house. It solves the problem of difculty in nding addresses by
municipal employees. It also helps the municipal corporation to integrate all
government services into individual houses.
A digital easy city code is provided to all households using the NFC tag
which validates all the visits by door-to-door collection facilities. It also helps
the citizen to locate all houses digitally and share the location. Smartphone-
enabled complaint management helps to record all citizens grievances in real-
time and provide an efcient way for waste management ofcials to resolve
issues in a fast and efcient manner. Citizens connect using SMS, and phone
call alerts are also sent to citizens to provide updated information. Easy city
code is an open smart address system which can be used by citizens to access
the geolocation of a given address and is easy to nd and share.
The developed system has reduced the grievances received related to door-
to-door collection of waste by 90%, and the number of grievances solved per
day has increased ten-fold. The system helped the waste department save
20+ lakh rupees a day and reduced the time taken in addressing and solving
grievances from two days to one day. The system has also added accountabil-
ity and transparency regarding the working of Vapi Municipal Corporation.
Timely data-oriented reports and analytics also help in improving the sys-
tem and efcient decision making.
5.6.5 Bhopal
Bhopal, a city in the state of Madhya Pradesh, was facing the issue of inef-
cient waste management due to its wide geographical area, with bins placed at
different locations and which ll at different rates i.e., bins in areas with high
trafc rates and population are lled at a faster rate. Aligning the garbage
collection trip with the status of lled garbage bins was not possible, leading
to a higher number of trips with excess fuel expenditure and operating costs.
The municipal corporation has installed 700 RFID tags and fuel sensors in
waste collection vehicles as well as 230 IoT-based sensors in 460 twin bins
across high priority zones identied by the authorities. A real-time vehicle
tracking system (RTVTS) was integrated with real-time monitoring using IoT
sensors for seamless and efcient collection of waste across the city. The inte-
gration helped in route planning as well as optimizing the waste collection,
resulting in a high frequency of weekly waste collection and a reduction in
grievances by citizens. The twin bins in the identied zones were installed
with IoT-based ultrasonic sensor devices which identify the ll status and
alert the central command center in real time once the waste bin reaches
80% of its ll capacity. Accordingly, the nearest vehicle enroute is identied

94 IoT-Based Smart Waste Management for Environmental Sustainability
and instructed through SMS triggered by the RTVTS system to collect waste
from the identied garbage bin. The integrated system helps in route plan-
ning of the garbage collection by vehicle as well as ward/area-wise route
optimization in the city for effective mapping of the vehicle, route planning,
and improved monitoring of waste collection. Real-time data analysis helps
in comparing the ward/area-wise data collection process of the city i.e. spa-
tially as well as temporally. It helps in efcient decision making and avoiding
unnecessary trips. It also helps in weekly analysis of waste collection trips,
creating reports on fuel efciency, cost, and manpower optimization.
5.6.6 Indore
Indore city in Madhya Pradesh has a waste generation capacity of 1,100 tons
per day. The city’s municipal corporation was facing the issues of not know-
ing whether all the waste had been collected, assessment of the quantity of
wet and dry waste collected, as well as data manipulation in the amount of
waste collected and trips taken. An integrated IoT-based system was devel-
oped for the city to address these issues in a timely and efcient manner.
The door-to-door collection vehicles were equipped with GPS and RFID
tags. The vehicles are automatically read with the help of an RFID tag at the
respective transfer station, and entry of unauthorized vehicles is stopped.
Real-time data is recorded, transferred, and analyzed at the command cen-
ter. When the waste collection vehicle equipped with GPS and RFID reaches
the weighbridge, the automated barrier can read the RFID tag and open. The
vehicle weighing operation is conducted in three stages. At the rst weigh-
bridge the vehicle is weighed. Then the vehicle unloads the dry waste, and
weight is recorded at the second weighbridge. Wet waste is unloaded, and
the vehicle is weighed at the third weighbridge. The compiled data is com-
municated to the central command center in real time. The data of distance
travelled between collection sites and the processing facility, and the amount
of dry and wet waste collected by each vehicle is recorded and analyzed
for all departments at the command center. The system has optimized the
day-to-day operation costs, time spent, and manpower utilized. The system
has stopped the manipulation and tampering of collected data by removing
human intervention in the data collection process. The accurate data is used
for future planning and development as well as further optimization of the
waste collection process.
5.7 Conclusions
The current work deals with the application of IoT in solid waste manage-
ment in Indian cities. The current situation of solid waste management in

95 IoT-Enabled Services in India
India was described, followed by the description of IoT-based systems and
their different applications. The chapter ends with a detailed account of IoT-
based systems applied in different cities across India. Various benets and
shortcomings of the technology were discussed as summarized below.
The benets of application of IoT in developing a smart SWM are seam-
less and allow real-time connectivity and ow of information. It helps the
stakeholders (citizens as well as municipal organization ofcials) to connect
and share information regarding waste collection and disposal through
updates on smartphone applications or SMS. IoT makes the SWM system
more efcient in terms of waste collected, time spent, as well as money spent
on vehicle fuel.
The system also minimizes human intervention which thereby reduces
hindrances caused by unintentional human error as well as data manipula-
tion. The data is recorded and stored at a central server from which analytic
reports are generated on efciency and resources utilized, and these com-
municated to shareholders. Data trends are also used for future improve-
ments in the system.
The system also has some shortcomings such as investment in installation
being required, as well as maintenance. Even though the system is devel-
oped with devices which need low maintenance, technical knowledge and
support will be required in case of maintenance as well as handling of errors
and faults.
The public as well as employees at waste collection facilities must be edu-
cated on using the system efciently through mobile applications. Initial
training may be required for the ofcials to access the data and make sense
of the system.
Lack of accessibility of fast internet and mobile communication at the loca-
tion can also act as a roadblock in the application of IoT-based systems in
developing an efcient solid waste management system.
Machine learning-based applications in combination with big data sys-
tems can be used to gain knowledge about the waste generation. Waste gen-
eration can be forecasted, and based on the results of this, waste handling
ofcials can be informed in advance. A combination of spatial interpolation
and clustering techniques can also help in identifying the hotspots where
extra resources could be allocated. Further research is required to reduce the
overall costs and provide better data connectivity in remote locations.
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