Lok Sabha Question No. 367 (STARRED), answered on 2023-03-27
Subject: Release of Toxic Air from Waste Treatment Plant
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Suresh Kodikunnil

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. 367

TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.03.2023

## Release of Toxic Air from Waste Treatment Plant

*367. SHRI KODIKUNNIL SURESH:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the continuous burning and release of toxic air from  Brahmapuram  Waste  Treatment  Plant  in  Cochin  leading  to  poisonous  fumes spreading through Ernakulam district and passing to Alappuzha and nearby districts;
- (b) whether the  Government has sought a  report  from  the  State Government  of  Kerala about  the release of persistent organic pollutants,  dioxins,  and  mercury  from Brahmapuram Waste Treatment plant, likely to cause cancer and neurological damage especially to infants and serious health issues to expecting mothers, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the State Government of Kerala is being provided technical assistance by the Union Government in containing the toxic haze;
- (d) whether  the  Government  intends  to  ban  practice  of  open  dumping  of  waste  and promote modern waste treatment plants instead; and
- (e) if  so,  the  details  of  funds  allocated  for  the  same  during  the  last  three  years  and  the current year to Kerala?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)

- (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

***

## Statement  referred  to  in  reply  to  parts  (a)  to  (e)  of  Lok  Sabha  Starred Question No. 367to be answered on 27 th March, 2023 on 'Release of Toxic Air  from  Waste  Treatment  Plant'  by  Shri  Kodikunnil  Suresh,  Hon'ble Member of Parliament.

(a): A fire accident on 2 nd March 2023was reported in the media at the Solid Waste Dumping Facility  of  Cochin  Corporation  situated  at  Brahmapuram,  Cochin,  Kerala.  The  smoke emanated  from  the  burning  waste  was  dispersed  due  to  strong  winds  predominantly  from west  to  east  direction.  It  has  been  reported  that  smoke  covered  covered  Cochin  city  and adjoining areas in the vicinity.

(b): Central  Pollution  Control  Board  along  with  officials  from  Kerala  State  Pollution Control Board have conducted site visit of municipal solid waste dumping facility of Cochin Corporation situated at Brahmapuram, Cochin, Kerala on 10 th and 13 th March 2023. As per Kerala  State  Pollution  Control  Board  steps  have  been  taken  for  assessment  of  dioxin  and furan in ambient air.

(c) to (e): As  per  the  Solid  Waste  Management  Rules,  2016,  the  local  authorities  and village  panchayats  of  census  towns  and  urban  agglomerations,  shall  allow  only  the  nonusable, non-recyclable, non-biodegradable, non-combustible and non-reactive inert waste and pre-processing rejects and residues from waste processing facilities to go to sanitary landfill sites. The rules further stipulate that every effort shall be made to recycle or reuse the rejects to achieve the desired objective of zero waste going to landfill.

Further,  the  local  authorities  and  village  panchayats  of  census  towns  and  urban agglomerations, have been mandated to investigate and analyse all old open dumpsites and existing  operational  dumpsites  for  their  potential  of  biomining  and  bio-remediation  and wheresover,  feasible,  take  necessary  actions  to  bio-mine  or  bio-remediate  the  sites.  The Guidelines for Disposal of Legacy Waste (Old Municipal Solid Waste) have been issued by Central Pollution Control Board. Directions under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, have also been issued by Central Pollution Control Board to all State Pollution Control Boards  /  Pollution  Control  Committees  for  enforcement  of  provisions  of  Solid  Waste Management Rules, 2016, regarding biomining of legacy waste.

The  Ministry  of  Housing  and  Urban  Affairs  launched  Swachh  Bharat  Mission  -  Urban (SBM-U) 2.0 in October 2021, inter alia with an objective of 100 % scientific management of all  fractions  of  waste,  remediation  of  all  legacy  dumpsites  and  converting  them  into  green zones. The details of Central Share of funds allocated and released to the Kerala for Solid Waste Management under Swachh Bharat Mission Urban is given below:

| Allocation under SBM - U (2014- 2021)   | Allocation under SBM - U 2.0 (2021-26)   | 2019-20   | 2020-21   | 2021-22   | 2022-23   |
|-----------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 219.99 Cr                               | 875.10 Cr                                | 0.00 Cr   | 0.00 Cr   | 1.88 Cr   | 26.51 Cr  |