Abstract

The city’s waste profile, high in organic content, coupled with unorganized recycling efforts, exacerbates landfill overuse and open burning of waste. This paper explores the specific SWM challenges in Guwahati, including policy gaps, financial constraints, and the need for public engagement. It proposes multi-faceted solutions: communitydriven waste segregation, decentralized composting and biogas facilities, wastetoenergy technologiesand enhanced recycling initiatives. Emphasizing policy reforms, public-private partnerships, and capacity-building, the proposed strategies aim to foster a resilient and sustainable SWM system in Guwahati, protecting environmental and community health. This paper explores the city's main challenges in waste management, examines their impacts on the environment and presents possible solutions that could lead to a more sustainable system. The study draws on current data, case studies from other cities and policy analysis to propose an integrated approach to address the MSW challenge in Guwahati.