Lok Sabha Question No. 5782 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-03
Subject: Solid Waste
Ministry: HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: C.S. PUTTARAJU

No. 5782

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5782 TO BE ANSWERED ON APRIL 03, 2018 SOLID WASTE

SHRI C. S. PUTTA RAJU:

Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that the Government is still following the very obsolete method of transporting solid wastes to landfills without any treatment;
- (b) if so, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government is aware of the hazards involved in the said method of waste management;
- (d) if so, whether the Government would take steps to adopt the best
- practices prevalent in advanced countries; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF

HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

(SHRI HARDEEP SINGH PURI)

(a): Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is being collected, transported and dumped in the dumping sites and sanitary landfills by the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and thereafter some portion of it is being processed to produce compost and electricity from it as per the provisions of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016. As on 28.02.2018, the total  MSW  generated  per  day  is  1,43,558  Metric  Tons  (MT),  out  of which  24.80%  is  being  scientifically  processed.  Rest  is  either  land filled in Sanitary Landfills (SLF) or crudely dumped.

(b).  Main  reasons  for  dumping  of  waste  on  landfill  sites  are  lack  of mass  awareness  and  infrastructure like waste  processing and recycling  plants  for  scientific  management  of  MSW  as  per  the provisions of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016.

(c):  Environmental  and  public  health  and  hygiene  hazards  like  air pollution, greenhouse gas emission, leachate generation, contamination  of  soil  and  water,  etc,  are  associated  with  the improper dumping and un-scientific management of waste.

(d)  and  (e):    Government  has  taken  various  steps  for  scientific management of waste, which include providing of financial assistance  up  to  35%  for  setting  up  SWM  projects  like  Waste  to Compost  (WtC)  and  Waste  to  Energy  (WtE)  plants,  subsidising  the sale of city compost by Rs.1,500/- per MT and assured purchase of all the compost produced, notifying generic tariff of Rs. 7.04 per unit of power  produced  by  WtE  plants  and  Rs.  7.90  per  unit  of  power produced  from  Refused  Derived  Fuel  (RDF),  assured  purchase  by State Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOMs) of all the power produced  from  MSW,  issuing  directions  to  all  States  for  use  of bituminous  mixes  with  the  plastic  waste  in  construction  of  roads, making it mandatory for Bulk Waste Generators (i.e. hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, commercial establishments, markets, etc) to process all  their  wet/  biodegradable  waste  at  their  own  premises,  etc. Besides this, sustained IEC (Information, Education and Communication)  campaign  on  source  segregation,  composting,  3Rs (Recycle, Reuse and Reduce), anti-littering, etc is also being undertaken for reduction of MSW generation and increasing scientific and safe disposal of MSW.

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