Effective Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management poses a critical challenge for urban areas worldwide. Increasing population levels, rapid economic growth, and rise in community living standards accelerate the generation rate of MSW in Indian cities, including Dimapur District, in the northeastern state of Nagaland. Current waste management practices are inadequate, leading to environmental degradation and public health concerns. The use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) offers significant advantages for planning, monitoring, and optimizing waste management practices, thus contributing to sustainable urban development. The primary objective of this study is to develop a GIS-based infrastructure for MSW management in Dimapur District, which includes the design of optimized waste collection routes using ArcGIS Network Analyst tools to minimize transportation costs and reduce environmental impact, enhancing overall efficiency. The methodology used in the study includes data collection (existing ward maps, road network, road elevation data, collection of existing routes, road class information, population data, etc.); database creation (geo-referencing, digitization); and finally, analysis in the GIS environment. The study's findings indicate that route optimization led to substantial reductions, with the market area collection route of 62% reduction and the door-to-door collection route around 60% reduction. These improvements significantly lower fuel consumption, operational costs, and greenhouse gas emissions, aligning with broader environmental sustainability goals. The findings of this study will contribute to the broader discourse on sustainable urban development and offer practical insights for policymakers to improve planning and resource allocation for waste management, assessing the environmental and socio-economic impacts of GIS-based waste management strategies.