Solid Waste Management is one of the essential obligatory functions of the Urban Local Bodies in India.  This service is falling too short of the desired level of efficiency and satisfaction resulting in problems of health, sanitation and environmental degradation.  Most urban areas in the country are plagued by acute problems related to solid waste.  Due to lack of serious efforts by town/city authorities, garbage and its management has become a tenacious problem and this notwithstanding the fact that the largest part of municipal expenditure is allotted to it.  Barring a few progressive municipal corporations in the country, most local bodies suffer due to non-availability of adequate expertise and experience, thereby the solid waste is not properly handled resulting into creation of environmental pollution and health hazards.  It is reiterated that the local bodies lack technical, managerial, administrative, financial and adequate institutional arrangements.  As such, it is very necessary to provide proper guidance to such Urban Local Bodies so as to make them efficient in managing the solid waste generated in their respective cities and towns.    Looking to the pathetic situation of solid waste management practices being adopted by the Urban Local Bodies in the country due to various reasons and having no action plan to solve the problem in future, the Ministry of Urban Development dealing with the subject of Solid Waste Management, decided to prepare a Manual on “Municipal Solid Waste Management” so as to assist the user agencies in proper management of solid wastes in urban areas.  Accordingly, an Expert Committee was constituted by the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, during February, 1998 to prepare Manual on “Municipal Solid Waste Management