FICCI further noted that some cities did not even have designated dump sites, which results in the waste lying open in the outskirts of the city centre.

The survey also brought to light the immense potential that the cities have for setting up landfill gas energy projects.

Landfill gas is the natural by-product of the decomposition of solid waste in landfills and is comprised primarily of carbon dioxide and methane.

Cities like Delhi, Greater Mumbai, Jaipur, Lucknow, Pune, Surat and Ahmedabad, which supply over 80 percent of their waste to dump sites, have high potential for landfill gas-based energy projects.

However, only five cities have done feasibility tests in this regard, FICCI said.

Greater Mumbai is the only city that has initiated a landfill gas energy project. Delhi, Ahmedabad, Surat and Jamshedpur have conducted feasibility studies.