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Solid waste management in north coastal Andhra

2. Methodology H : There is no significant relationship between
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the education level of residents and the segregation
This study employed both primary and secondary practices of solid waste in the selected municipal
data sources, applying appropriate research methods corporations.
to collect the necessary information. Secondary data Alternative hypothesis: There is a significant
consisted of reports from municipal corporations and relationship between the education level of residents
local governments, gathered from journals, websites, and segregation practices of solid waste in the selected
early thesis submissions, and related sources. Primary municipal corporations.
data were collected using standardized questionnaires The research tool used in this study was a questionnaire
administered to the general public and employees administered to residents of the municipal corporation.
involved in waste management in the selected municipal The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the
corporations. A brief description of both primary and efficacy of SWM procedures and policies among different
secondary data sources is provided below. municipal corporations in north coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Primary data refers to information directly gathered In this context, a timeline was created by the researchers
by the researchers through field-based methods such to gather insights into public perceptions and attitudes
as experiments, observations, surveys, and in-person toward the application of SWM policies and strategies
interviews. Data were obtained from staff members in the selected municipal corporation areas.
and residents of selected municipal corporations For data analysis, Excel spreadsheets and SPSS-
in the districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, and 18 were used. The full set of data was examined
Visakhapatnam. Collection methods included the use using statistical tests such as the F-test, Chi-square
of structured questionnaires, informal conversations, test, Spearman rank correlation, cross-tabulation, and
field observations, and other relevant fieldwork. To percentage analysis.
ensure appropriate targeting, researchers developed
separate questionnaires for two respondent groups: 2.2. Sampling design
solid waste disposal employees and the general public. The selection of municipal corporations was guided by
An appropriate sample size was determined by the two primary criteria: (i) accessibility for researchers to
researchers, and a quota sampling technique was conduct fieldwork effectively, and (ii) the presence of
employed to select participants from each the general significant waste management in the region. Based on
population in each municipal corporation. these criteria, the municipal corporations in the districts
In parallel, the researchers reviewed secondary data of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Srikakulam were
to support and contextualize the primary findings. This selected for the study and size of the sample shown in
included data from government publications, websites, Table 1.
books, magazine articles, internal records, and other
relevant materials. For this study, the researchers gathered 3. Results
secondary data from books, M. Phil. and Ph.D. theses,
academic journals, numerous websites, newspapers, 3.1. Data analysis I
articles, government reports, publications, and online H : There is no significant difference in stakeholders’
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sources provided by government organizations. perceptions regarding the type of solid waste generated
in their households across the selected municipal
2.1. Research hypothesis corporations.
To examine the relationship between stakeholder Table 2 displays the perceptual variations regarding the
perceptions and various factors influencing SWM, the types of solid waste generated at home among different
following research hypotheses were formulated: demographic groups. Among the three municipal
H : There is no significant difference in the corporations, Visakhapatnam recorded the highest mean
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perceptions of the type of solid waste generated in the perceptive score (12.15), while Srikakulam had the
stakeholders’ households in the selected municipal lowest (12.08), with corresponding standard deviations
corporations. of 3.321 and 3.308. The computed F-value (0.033)
Alternative hypothesis: There is a significant and p-value (0.968) indicate no statistically significant
difference in the perceptions of the type of solid waste difference in perceptions across the corporations. This
generated in the stakeholders’ households in the selected suggests a consistent understanding of solid waste types
municipal corporations. regardless of municipal location.

Volume 22 Issue 3 (2025) 67 doi: 10.36922/ajwep.8593