This study aims to understand the underdocumented solid waste management practices in four coastal villages of Ramanathapuram- Olaikuda, Thanneer Ootru, Morepannai and Karangad. Household waste audit, waste collection, recycling, plastic waste material flow composting and dumping were mapped. None of the villages has a daily waste collection. Thangachimadam panchayat showed the most efficient form of waste management. The biggest threat of improper SWM practises was to the villages' public and environmental health. Issues and concerns of the villages’ solid waste management practices were studied using semi-structured interviews and Focus Group Discussions. Sankey Flow Chart and QGIS Maps are visual tools used to map the plastic material flow chain in Rameswaram island and Uppur village. Gender role in household waste management was studied as the FGDs were all-female volunteers to talk about waste production in villages. SWOT analysis and QDA Miner Lite software were qualitative analysis tools to better understand the SWM scenario and generate a report on the status of solid waste management in the study areas. The baseline mapping helps understand human behaviour around waste segregation, generation and disposal at a village level, crucial for planning interventions to improve public and environmental health in a local context.