Lok Sabha Question No. 3304 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-12
Subject: Waste Management
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Behanan Benny

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3304

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.07.2019

## Waste Management

## 3304.  SHRI  BENNY BEHANAN

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the observations of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on the eve of World Environment Day that no State in the country is complying with the rules and regulations of waste management;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government is also aware that six lakh people die every year in India due to air pollution, causing diseases ranging from asthama to cancer;
- (d) if so, the reaction of Government thereto; and
- (e) the details of action proposed by the Government to improve the situation?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

- (a) & (b) The Ministry in supersession of earlier waste management rules has comprehensively revised 6 waste management rules including Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. The Rules prescribe that no waste generator shall throw, burn or bury the solid waste generated by him, on streets, open public spaces outside his premises or in the drain  or  water  bodies.  Further,  the  Rules  direct  the  waste  generators  to  segregate  the waste at source and hand over the segregated waste to authorised waste pickers or waste collectors.

The Central Government is also supporting the efforts of State Governments in establishing infrastructure related to proper implementation of solid waste management. MoHUA  is  implementing  the  Swachh  Bharat  Mission  (Urban)  project  under  which various  projects  have  been  taken  up.  Under  this  programme  during  the  mission  period of 2014-15 to 2019-20, an allocation of Rs. 7424.24 Cr has been made for Solid Waste Management Projects

(c)&(d)Though air pollution  is  one  of  the  triggering  factors  for  respiratory  ailments  and associated diseases, there are no conclusive data available in the country to establish direct correlation of death/ disease exclusively due to air pollution

- (e)  The  Central  Government  has  taken  a  number  of  regulatory  measures  for  prevention, control and abatement of air pollution in the country.

## Action Plans for Improvement of Air Quality in Delhi NCR :

- (i) Graded  Response  Action  Plan  (GRAP)  was  notified  on  January  12,  2017,  for prevention,  control  and  abatement  of  air  pollution  in  Delhi  and  NCR.  It  identifies graded  measures  and  implementing  agencies  for  response  to  four  AQI  categories, namely, Moderate to Poor, Very Poor, Severe and Severe + or Emergency.
- (ii) The Central Government has notified a Comprehensive Action Plan (CAP) in 2018 identifying timelines and implementing agencies for actions identified for prevention, control and mitigation of air pollution in Delhi and NCR.
- (iii) A comprehensive set of directions have been issued under section 18 (1) (b) of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1986 for implementation of 42/31 measures to mitigate air pollution in major cities including Delhi and NCR cities comprising of control and mitigation measures related to vehicular emissions, re-suspension of road dust and other fugitive emissions, bio-mass/municipal solid waste burning, industrial pollution, construction and demolition activities, and other general steps.

## Action Plans for Improvement of Air Quality of Other Cities :

- (i) Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  has  launched  National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in January 2019 to tackle the problem of air pollution in a comprehensive manner with targets to achieve 20 to 30 % reduction in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations  by  2024.  This  is  keeping  2017  as  the  base  year  for  the  comparison  of concentration. The overall objective is to augment and evolve effective ambient air quality monitoring network across the country besides ensuring comprehensive management plan for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution and enhancing public awareness and capacity building measures.
- (ii) 102 non-attainment cities have been identified based on ambient air quality data for the period 2011 - 2015 and WHO report 2014/2018. A total of 86 city specific action plans have been approved for ground implementation.

The Central Government has taken several measures for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution across the country. These include-

## Monitoring

-  Setting  up  of  monitoring  network  for  assessment  of  ambient  air  quality.  Presently, ambient air quality is being monitored at 779 locations covering 339 cities in 29 states &  6  Union  Territories  across  the  country  under  National  Air  Quality  Monitoring Programme (NAMP). Further, real time monitoring is taking place at 170 locations in 102 cities in 18 States/UTs.
-  Notification of National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
-  Launch of National Air Quality Index.
-  Implementation of Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi in October, 2018 in association with Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).

## Transport

-  Leapfrogging from BS-IV to BS-VI fuel standards since 1st April, 2018 in NCT of Delhi and from by 1st April, 2020 in the rest of the country.
-  Introduction  of  cleaner  /  alternate  fuels  like  gaseous  fuel  (CNG,  LPG  etc.),  ethanol blending.
-  Promotion  of  public  transport  and  improvements  in  roads  and  building  of  more bridges to ease congestion on roads.
-  Operationalisation of Eastern Peripheral Expressway & Western Peripheral Expressway to divert non-destined traffic from Delhi.
-  Streamlining the issuance of Pollution Under Control Certificate.
-  Environment  Protection  Charges  (EPC)  have  been  imposed  on  diesel  vehicles  with engine capacity of 2000cc and above in Delhi NCR.

## Industry

-  Badarpur thermal power plant has been closed from 15th October, 2018.
-  Notification of stricter emission norms for power plants.
-  All brick kilns have been shifted to zig-zag technology in Delhi and NCR.
-  Installation  of  on-line  continuous  (24x7)  monitoring  devices  in  all  red  category industries in Delhi and NCR.
-  Revision of emission standards for industrial sectors from time to time.
-  Ban  on  pet  coke  and  furnace  oil  -  monitoring  of  use  of    pet  coke  in  Lime Kilns/Cement Kilns and Calcium Carbide Industry in Delhi and NCR States.

## Biomass and Solid Waste

-  A new Central Sector Scheme on 'Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for in-situ management  of  Crop  Residue  in  the  States  of  Punjab,  Haryana,  Uttar  Pradesh  and NCT of Delhi' for the period from 2018-19 and 2019-20 has been launched.
-  Banning of burning of biomass/garbage.
-  3  Waste-to-Energy  (W-t-E)  plants  are  currently  operational  in  Delhi  with  a  total capacity of 5100 Tonnes Per Day (TPD).
-  Notifications  of  6  waste  management  rules  covering  solid  waste,  plastic  waste,  ewaste, bio-medical waste, C&D waste and hazardous wastes issued in 2016.

## Dust

-  Notifications  regarding  dust  mitigation  measures  for  construction  and  demolition activities.
-  Number of mechanised road sweeping machines has been increased significantly and presently 60 machines are deployed for cleaning of roads in Delhi.

## Public Outreach

-  Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Delhi Government launched Clean Air for Delhi Campaign from 10th - 23rd Feb 2018 and to check air polluting activities pre and post Diwali, a special campaign called 'Clean Air Campaign' during November 01, 2018 to November 10, 2018.
-  Ministry is promoting peoples participation and awareness building among citizens for environmental conservation through Green Goods Deeds that focus on promotion of cycling, saving water and electricity, growing trees, proper maintenance of vehicles, following of lane discipline and reducing congestion on roads by car pooling etc.
-  Development of mechanism for redressal of public complaints regarding air pollution issues in Delhi and NCR (through 'Sameer App', 'Emails'(aircomplaints.cpcb@gov.in)  and  'Social  Media  Networks'  (Facebook  and Twitter)  etc.

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