Methane Emissions from Waste Sector in India

Context

• Methane (CH₄):

  • 84 times more potent than CO₂ over a 20-year period

  • Major contributor to landfill fires and climate change

• ~15% of India’s methane emissions come from the waste sector

• Waste sector offers quick mitigation gains compared to agriculture or energy

Why Methane from Landfills Matters

• Generated by anaerobic decomposition of organic waste

• Causes:

  • Climate warming

  • Air pollution

  • Fire hazards in dumpsites

• Also a valuable fuel (Bio-CNG, electricity)

Existing Estimation Challenges

(a) Model-Based Estimates

• Based on:

  • Waste volume

  • Assumptions on composition and decay

• Problems:

  • Poor quality & infrequent data

  • Aggregated at State/national level

  • Cannot identify site-specific hotspots

(b) Ground-Level Monitoring

• Requires:

  • Expensive equipment

  • Skilled manpower

  • Continuous oversight

• Difficult to scale in Indian cities

Role of Satellites (Technological Shift)

Satellite data fills the monitoring gap:

Types of Satellite Monitoring

1. Regional-scale (km-level)

   • High frequency

   • Useful for national trends

2. High-resolution hotspot detection (m²-level)

   • Identifies specific leak points

   • Enables targeted action

Key Satellite Missions

• ISRO (2023 methane mapping study)

• CarbonMapper – Tanager

• SRON (Netherlands)

• Platforms:

  • ClimateTRACE

  • WasteMap

Evidence of Underestimation (Critical Data)

Delhi

• 2018 estimate (entire waste sector): 1.07 Mt CO₂e

• Satellite estimate (Ghazipur + Bhalswa): 0.85–0.96 Mt CO₂e

Mumbai

• Model estimate (Kanjurmarg): 11% of city emissions

• Satellite estimate: 1.05 Mt CO₂e

  • ~10× model estimate

  • ~50% of Maharashtra’s solid waste emissions

Ahmedabad

• Gujarat estimate (entire sector): 0.73 Mt CO₂e

• Pirana landfill alone: 0.60–0.81 Mt CO₂e

Institutional & Policy Response

• ISRO study → NGT constituted investigation committee

• National programmes already exist:

  • Swachh Bharat Mission

  • GOBARdhan Scheme

• Example:

  • Indore Bio-CNG plant from municipal waste

Need for an Integrated Monitoring System

Feedback Loop Model

1. Satellite detects hotspot

2. Ground teams investigate cause

   • Poor waste cover

   • Gas collection failure

   • Illegal dumping

3. Corrective action

4. Ground data improves satellite accuracy

Key Gaps in Governance

• Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) operate separately from:

  • State Pollution Control Boards

• Lack of:

  • Standardised datasets

  • Inter-agency coordination

• Reliance on 2018 State-level waste data

Way Forward 

Three-pronged strategy:

1. Expand satellite monitoring to all major dumpsites

2. Establish on-ground validation systems in metro cities

3. Create standardised data-sharing protocols

Institutional Measures:

• Centralised waste & methane data portal

• Role for:

  • CAQM (NCR oversight)

  • Swachh Bharat Mission (methane targets)

• Integrate landfill methane into:

  • Climate mitigation strategy

  • Bio-energy planning

 Co-benefits of Methane Mitigation

• Climate change mitigation

• Reduced landfill fires

• Cleaner cities

• Renewable energy generation

• Improved policy transparency

Conclusion

By integrating satellite intelligence with ground-level action and institutional coordination, India can transform landfill methane from a hidden climate liability into a visible and manageable climate opportunity.

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