Garbage in the City: Can Technology Fix India’s Waste Woes?

As India’s cities expand at an unprecedented pace, the challenge of managing municipal waste has reached critical levels. From metropolitan hubs like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai to smaller cities such as Asansol, Patna, Koderma civic authorities grapple daily with overflowing garbage bins and logistical chaos. Despite high-profile campaigns like Swachh Bharat, inefficiencies and fraudulent reporting continue to hinder effective waste management. But amid this urban crisis, a new technological solution is offering hope.

TrackingPath, a flagship product by AVSG Info Systems Pvt Ltd, is disrupting the solid waste management (SWM) space with its AI-powered platform that ensures visual, real-time verification of garbage pickup operations. Unlike traditional GPS systems that merely show truck movement, TrackingPath proves each waste collection event through onboard cameras and AI analytics—eliminating guesswork and enhancing accountability.

“In most municipalities, GPS data has become a smokescreen,” says Sandeep Kumar Gupta, Director – Sales & Strategy at TrackingPath. “The vehicle may have moved, but did it stop at the bin? Was the waste lifted? No one knows. We wanted to make the invisible visible.”

Visual Proof, Real-Time Insights

The platform utilizes cameras mounted on garbage trucks, which feed live footage to a central AI system capable of recognizing bin pickups, waste dumping, or missed collections. Every activity is geo-tagged and time-stamped, creating a tamper-proof visual log. This innovation closes long-standing gaps in SWM accountability.

What’s more, TrackingPath’s AI can distinguish between wet and dry waste—enforcing compliance with India’s mandatory segregation rules. Accurate data on waste type and collection metrics helps municipal bodies track performance and meet environmental targets.

Digital Command Centers and Smart Alerts

At the control center level, the platform functions as a real-time nerve hub, offering live tracking of vehicles—not just for location, but actual service coverage. Route deviations and missed pickups trigger automated alerts via SMS, email, or push notifications. If a bin is skipped or overflows, supervisors know instantly.

“This is not just about tracking vehicles; it’s about transforming behavior,” explains Amit Kumar Verma, Director – Technical Head at TrackingPath. “Our system tracks drivers, loaders, and route adherence. But it’s not surveillance for control—it’s insight for empowerment.”

Sensor-Free Fuel Monitoring and Load Estimation

One of TrackingPath’s standout features is its fuel monitoring capability—achieved without any physical sensors. Proprietary AI algorithms estimate fuel usage with 99% accuracy based on vehicle movement and behavior, virtually eliminating theft and tampering.

Additionally, the platform estimates load levels by analyzing terrain, stop duration, and pickup frequency. This enables dynamic route planning, avoiding underutilized trips and optimizing operational efficiency.

A Model for Smart Cities

As Indian cities race toward smart city status, innovations like TrackingPath are increasingly vital. By combining AI, visual evidence, and real-time responsiveness, the platform offers a scalable solution that ensures cleaner streets, greater transparency, and higher trust between stakeholders.

With urban waste projected to double in the coming decades, TrackingPath's intelligent SWM platform may be just what India's cities need to keep pace—not just with population growth, but with the growing demand for sustainability and accountability.