Lok Sabha Question No. 108 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-18
Subject: Garbage Dumps
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Kotagiri Sridhar

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 108

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 18.07.2022

## Garbage Dumps

## 108. SHRI SRIDHAR KOTAGIRI:

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

- (a) whether it is true that there have been increasinginstances of garbage dump turning into mountains in various cities;
- (b) if so, the steps taken by the Government tocontrol such garbage dumps in major cities across the country;
- (c) whether the Government made any efforts tocontrol such fires in garbage dumps and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) whether the Government has released any specialguidelines in this regard and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) & (b) The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, provide the statutory framework for the management of solid waste in the country. As per the Rules, the local authorities and village panchayats of census towns and urban agglomerations, shall allow only the non-usable, nonrecyclable,  non-biodegradable,  non-combustible  and  non-reactive  inert  waste  and  preprocessing 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, all old open dumpsites and existing operational dumpsites are to be investigated  and analysed by  local authorities and village panchayats for their potential of biomining and bio-remediation and wheresover, feasible, take necessary actions to bio-mine or bio-remediate the sites.

The  Ministry  of  Housing  and  Urban  Affairs  launched  Swachh  Bharat  Mission  Urban  (SBM-U)  2.0  in  October  2021,  with  estimated  cost  of  Rs.  1,41,600Crores.  The objectives of SBM-U 2.0 include 100 % scientific management of all fractions of waste, its safe disposal in landfills and remediation of all legacy dumpsites and converting them into green zones. All statutory towns are expected to achieve at least the status of 3-star Garbage Free  City  (GFC)  by  the  end  of  SBM-U  2.0  on  1 st October,  2026.  Further,  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  Committeesfor  enforcement  of  provisions  of  Solid  Waste Management Rules, 2016, regarding biomining of legacy waste.

(c) & (d): The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has published Municipal Solid Waste Manual in 2016. The Manual covers measures for 'Fire Prevention and Protection' for the use of urban local bodies, which are responsible for implementing these guidelines. The State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committees enforce the provisions of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, in their State/Union Territory through local bodies in their respective jurisdictions.

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