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Article
Publication date: 25 May 2012

Amit Vishwakarma, Mukul Kulshrestha and Mudit Kulshreshtha

The purpose of this paper is to evolve a framework for assessing the efficiencies of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) services.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evolve a framework for assessing the efficiencies of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) services.

Design/methodology/approach

Stochastic frontier analysis (SFA), a deterministic parametric frontier technique, has been employed for benchmarking of the MSWM services across municipalities in 22 cities in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India.

Findings

This paper reviews the solid waste management status and applies SFA to evaluate the relative performances of the services in terms of seven models, of which two models were found significant and acceptable based on the null hypothesis, significance of elasticity of variables, and an absence of data heteroskedasticity. The paper discusses the results in the context of various indicators, and finds that a large number of MSWM municipalities exhibit relative inefficiencies, implying that most municipalities can achieve higher levels of outputs by deploying fewer resources, thereby improving performances without necessarily increasing municipal spendings.

Social implications

The work suggests some of the changes at the policy level that would affect the way in which solid waste is managed currently in India, and hence the work has social implications whereby the lives of a billion people will be improved through improved solid waste management services.

Originality/value

To the best of the author's information, advanced benchmarking techniques such as SFA have seldom been applied for evolving the efficiencies of solid waste management municipalities, primarily because the sanitation services are yet to take the shape of an industry in the developing world. Lack of availability of data and non‐transparent functions of these services prevent further exploration into estimating the inefficiencies of these service utilities. The paper will be of use to policy makers, solid waste managers, administrators, and sector regulators.

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Article
Publication date: 6 April 2012

Sanjay Sitaram Phadnis and Mukul Kulshrestha

The quantity and quality of available water resources have been recognized limiting factors in development of most of the arid and semi arid regions. The purpose of this paper is…

624

Abstract

Purpose

The quantity and quality of available water resources have been recognized limiting factors in development of most of the arid and semi arid regions. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the efficiency, for water users' associations (WUA), of irrigation project Samrat Ashok Sagar (Halali) in India, using benchmarking by data envelopment analysis as the performance evaluation tool and to integrate the outcome of the benchmarking process for planning, design and effective management of available water resources.

Design/methodology/approach

To collect information or data required to calculate indicators, there was personal interaction with water users and executive engineers in‐charge of the project, and competent authority for WUA (sub‐engineers), with other technical staff and with establishment staff and the purpose of the study explained. In the analysis, the performance gap was compared within the scheme. The causes of the performance gap and the action required for closing the performance gap were explored. Data envelopment analysis was done for different sets of input output by input‐oriented model through software. The data collected were real time and validated from Samrat Ashok Sagar Irrigation and Drainage Project Authority.

Findings

It was found that the majority of WUAs as per model I to model VI had efficiency below 70 per cent, which is a matter of serious concern. It is evident that considerable variations occur amongst the various WUAs in terms of the operational characteristics reflected by the independent variables.

Originality/value

The paper demonstrates that it is evident that considerable variations occur amongst the various WUAs in terms of the operational characteristics reflected by the independent variables.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 19 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

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