Optimizing Sustainable Landfill Sites in Rishikesh: Integrating Geospatial and MCDA for Waste Management in Himalayan Foothills

Addressing the daily generation of approximately 80 metric tons of waste in Rishikesh, the Municipal Corporation faces significant challenges in solid waste management. Identifying adequate landfill sites is critical for authorities, and the purpose of this study is to identify the best areas for municipal solid waste disposal in Rishikesh. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) have been used as effective methods for Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) in waste management. Ten parameters, including distance from rivers, distance from road networks, lithological structure, elevation, soil texture, slope, and land use and land cover (LULC), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), distance to sensitive and restricted places and aquifers were measured for site analysis in all 40 wards of Rishikesh. The predictive maps were assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) method. A random selection of 8 potential landfill site locations was used, yielding an accuracy of 85.5% (AUC = 0.855) for the AHP model, demonstrating high reliability. The research site has been separated into various zones, designated as areas of very high, high, moderate, low, and extremely low appropriateness, accounting for 5%, 6.7%, 29.6%, 33.2%, and 25.2% of the total area, respectively. These zones were suitable for landfill purposes. By optimizing distances from the considered parameters, the study identified potential waste management sites. This information can assist urban planners and authorities in implementing successful urban waste management strategies.