Lok Sabha Question No. 2062 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-30
Subject: Detection of micro-plastics in ground water
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Geetha Viswanath Vanga, Kotha Prabhakar  Reddy, Manne Srinivas Reddy, Komati Reddy Venkat Reddy

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2062

TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.07.2021

## Detection of micro-plastics in ground water

2062.   SHRIMATI VANGA GEETHA VISWANATH; SHRI KOTHA PRABHAKAR; REDDY: SHRI MANNE SRINIVAS REDDY SHRI KOMATI REDDY VENKAT REDDY:

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

- (a) whether  the  National  Green  Tribunal  has  been  alarmed  to  see  reports  that  microplastics were being detected in ground water samples taken from wells near the dump yards;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor, State/UT-wise in the last four years and current year;
- (c) whether these dump  yards lack proper scientific disposals, if so, the details thereof and reasons therefor;
- (d) the violations noticed/cases booked/action taken/ penalties imposed and purpose for which such penalties are used; and
- (e) the steps being taken by the States and others including concerned companies/PSUs to dispose  off  the  dump  yards  legacy  waste  and  methods  adopted  in  Andhra  Pradesh during the last five years till date?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) & (b) Hon'ble NGT in its Order dated 16.06.2021 in O.A No. 99/2021 has referred to the article published in Times of India dated 15.06.2021 and observed that micro-plastics have been  seen  in  the  groundwater  samples  near  the  dump  yards  in  Chennai  and  other  suburb areas.

Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB)  monitors  ambient  water  quality  under  National Water Quality  Monitoring  Program  (NWMP) for the specific sets of parameters identified and micro-plastics is not a part of parameter identified for monitoring.

(c)    Unscientifically  designed  solid  waste  dump  site  has  potential  to  contaminate  ground water and necessary provisions to contain and regulate the impact have been made in Solid Waste Management (SBM) Rules, 2016, including management of legacy waste.

Total solid waste generation in the country is 150847 TPD, out of which 146053.8 TPD is collected,  70973.2  TPD  is  treated  and  40863.2  TPD  goes  to  landfills.  There  are  3074 dumpsites in the country.  State wise details of such dumpsites is enclosed at Annexure-1. (d) Hon'ble NGT Vide order dated 02.07.2020 in O.A No. 606/2018 directed Local Body to pay  compensation  at  the  rate  of  Rs.  10  lakh  per  month  per  Local  Body  for  population  of above 10 lakhs, Rs. 5 lakh per month per Local Body for population between 5 lakhs and 10 lakhs and Rs. 1 lakh per month per other Local Body from 01.04.2020 for continued failure to comply with SWM Rules. Further, local Body which fails to commence the work of legacy waste sites remediation from 01.04.2020 shall be liable to compensation at the rate of Rs. 10 lakh per month per Local Body for population of above 10 lakhs, Rs. 5 lakh per month per Local Body for population between 5 lakhs and 10 lakhs and Rs. 1 lakh per month per other Local Body till compliance. (e)    CPCB  issued  Directions  on  27.01.2021,  under  Section  5  of  Environment  (Protection) Act, 1986, for enforcement of provision of Solid Waste Management (Rule), 2016 regarding bio-mining  of  legacy  waste.  Also,  in  compliance  of  Hon'ble  NGT  matter  of  OA  no. 606/2018, SPCBs/PCCs have been directed to manage the solid waste in their corresponding State/UT. About  118  Lakh  Tonnes  of  legacy  waste  is  accumulated  in  existing  dumpsites  of  Andhra Pradesh. Two ULBs (Vijaywada and Tirupati Municipal Corporations) have completed the removal of legacy waste by following bio-mining process. In  Andhra  Pradesh,  34  ULBs  are  connected  to  Cement  Factories  for  Refuse  Derived  fuel (RDF) treatment.  At present 49 centralised waste to compost/bio-cng projects are awarded in and Demolition  waste  processing  plants  in  Greater  Visakhapatnam,  Vijaywada  and  Tirupati the state under DBOT  (design-build-operate-transfer) basis. Three Construction Municipal Corporations are operational.

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## STATEWISE DETAILS OF DUMPSITES

| S. No.   | State               |   Total Number of existing dumpsites | Dumpsites reclaimed/ capped   | Dumpsites Converted to sanitary landfill   |
|----------|---------------------|--------------------------------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh      |                                  110 | 1                             | 3                                          |
| 2.       | Arunachal Pradesh   |                                   27 | Nil                           | Nil                                        |
| 4        | Bihar               |                                  140 | Nil                           | Nil                                        |
| 5        | Chhattishgarh       |                                    8 | 0                             | 0                                          |
| 6        | Goa                 |                                    9 | Nil                           | Nil                                        |
| 7        | Gujarat             |                                  170 | 0                             | 0                                          |
| 8        | Haryana             |                                   69 | 0                             | 0                                          |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh    |                                   57 | Nil                           | Nil                                        |
| 10       | Jammu & Kashmir     |                                   62 | Nil                           | Nil                                        |
| 11       | Jharkhand           |                                   41 | 0                             | 0                                          |
| 12       | Karnataka           |                                  157 | 15                            | 6                                          |
| 13       | Kerala              |                                   38 | 6                             | Not Provided                               |
| 14       | Madhya Pradesh      |                                  328 | 50                            | Nil                                        |
| 15       | Maharashtra         |                                  327 | 1                             | 0                                          |
| 16       | Manipur             |                                   21 | Nil                           | Nil                                        |
| 17       | Meghalaya           |                                    6 | Nil                           | 1                                          |
| 18       | Mizoram             |                                    1 | Nil                           | Nil                                        |
| 19       | Nagaland            |                                   23 | Nil                           | Nil                                        |
| 20       | Odisha              |                                  112 | Nil                           | Nil                                        |
| 21       | Punjab              |                                  150 | Nil                           | Nil                                        |
| 22       | Rajasthan           |                                  172 | 1                             | 1                                          |
| 23       | Sikkim              |                                    2 | Nil                           | 1                                          |
| 24       | Tamil Nadu          |                                  143 | 7                             | 0                                          |
| 25       | Telangana           |                                  123 | 1                             | 1                                          |
| 26       | Tripura             |                                   14 | 1                             | Nil                                        |
| 27       | Uttarakhand         |                                   53 | Nil                           | Nil                                        |
| 28       | Uttar Pradesh       |                                  611 |                               |                                            |
| 29       | West Bengal         |                                  100 | 1                             | Nil                                        |
| 30       | Andaman and Nicobar |                                    1 | 1                             | Not Provided                               |
| 31       | Islands Chandigarh  |                                    1 | 1                             | 1                                          |
| 32       | DDDNH ( 2018-19)    |                                    2 | Nil                           | Not Provided                               |
| 33       | information) Delhi  |                                    3 | In process                    | Nil                                        |
| 34       | Lakshadweep         |                                    0 | Nil                           | Nil                                        |
| 35       | Puducherry          |                                    3 | 1                             | Nil                                        |
|          | Total               |                                 3074 | 91                            | 14                                         |

## Annexure - 1