Study of municipal government, chiefly in Bhubaneswar, Orissa.

In Indian context.

First Published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Solid Waste Management (SWM) is a matter of great concern in the urban areas of developing countries. The municipal authorities who are responsible for managing municipal solid waste are unable to discharge their obligations effectively because they lack the in-house capacity to handle the complexities of the process. It is heartening to see that the World Bank has prepared this book covering all important aspects of municipal SWM in great depth. The book covers very lucidly the present scenario of SWM in urban areas, the system deficiencies that exist, and the steps that need to be taken to correct SWM practices in compliance with Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2000 ratified by the Government of India. The book shares examples of best practices adopted in various parts of the country and abroad, and very appropriately covers the institutional, financial, social, and legal aspects of solid waste management, which are essential for sustainability of the system. It provides a good insight on how to involve the community, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to help improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the service, and shows how contracting mechanisms can be used to involve the private sector in SWM services. This book will be a very useful tool for city managers and various stakeholders who deal with municipal solid waste management in the design and execution of appropriate and cost-effective systems.

In this definitive history, a key figure in the People's Campaign in Kerala provides a unique insider's account of one of the world's most extensive and successful experiments in decentralization. Launched in 1996, the campaign mobilized over 3 million of Kerala's 30 million people and resulted in bottom-up development planning in all 1,052 of its villages and urban neighborhoods. The authors tell a powerful story of mass mobilization and innovation as bureaucratic opposition was overcome, corruption and cynicism were rooted out, and parliamentary democracy prevailed. Considering both the theoretical and applied significance of the campaign in the context both of India's development since independence and of recent international debates about decentralization, civil society, and empowerment, the book provides invaluable lessons for sustainable development worldwide.