India, Aug. 13 -- LUCKNOW A performance audit of solid waste management (SWM) in Uttar Pradesh's urban areas has revealed alarming deficiencies in planning, implementation, staffing and fund utilisation, raising urgent concerns over the state's ability to manage waste sustainably. Covering the period from April 2016 to March 2022, the audit, conducted by the comptroller and auditor general (CAG) has made several key recommendations for rectifying the issues that impact both public health and urban sanitation.

The audit paints a picture of a disjointed and under-resourced SWM framework in urban UP: Most of the local bodies were missing municipal plans as 93% of the test-checked urban local bodies (ULBs) failed to prepare SWM plans, even y...