Lok Sabha Question No. 315 (STARRED), answered on 2021-08-10
Subject: Toxic Waste from Chemical Factories
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Anumula Revanth Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICALS & PETROCHEMICALS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 315 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.08.2021

## Toxic Waste from Chemical Factories

## *315:  SHRI ANUMULA REVANTH REDDY:

- Will the Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers be pleased to state:(a) the details of regular and toxic waste generated by the factories in the chemical and industrial areas of Telangana annually; (b) whether  any  protocol  has  been  set  up  by  the  Government  to  regularly  check compliance with the prescribed disposal system of toxic waste by these companies; (c) if so, the details thereof; (d) if not, the reasons therefor; (e) whether any action has been taken against the companies which are not complying
- with the prescribed disposal method of toxic waste; and
- (f)  if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS (SHRI MANSUKH MANDAVIYA)

- (a) to (f): A statement is laid on the table of the House .

*****

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  TO  (f)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  315  DUE  FOR  ANSWER  ON  AUGUST  10,  2021 REGARDING 'TOXIC WASTE FROM CHEMICAL FACTORIES':

- (a) As per information provided by Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) about  3,17,091  Tonnes  of  hazardous  waste  has  been  generated  against  the authorized capacity of 8,21,229 Tonnes during 2019-20. There are 651 Chemical and  Pharma  industries  located  in  the  State  of  Telangana.  They  are  mainly established in and around cities i.e., Rangareddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Sangareddy,  Medak  and  Yadadri  Bhuvanagiri  Districts  namely  at  Jeedimetla, Kukatpally, Balanagar, Sanathnagar, Nacharam, Cherlapally, Moulali, Uppal, IDA Bollaram, Bachupally, Khazipally, Gaddapotharam, Bonthapally, Pashamailaram, Patancheru, Choutuppal, Pochampally, Dothigudem etc. These Chemical, Research  &  Development  and  Pharmaceutical  industries  generate  hazardous waste such as Process sludge, process in-organic salts, process organic residue, Effluent Treatment Plant sludge and salts generated from the treatment systems like zero liquid discharge (ZLD) & Agitated Thin Film Dryer (ATFD). The quantity of hazardous waste generated and disposed from the industries in above areas are as follows:
- (b) to (d)  Government  of  India  has  notified  the  Hazardous  and  Other  Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 (hereinafter referred as HOWM Rules, 2016), under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to ensure safe storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes in an environmentally sound manner without causing adverse effect to environment and human health.

| Recyclable Waste (tons per Annum)   |   77057.16 |
|-------------------------------------|------------|
| Incinerable Waste (tons per Annum)  |    92578.2 |
| Landfilable Waste (tons per Annum)  |   105412   |
| Total:                              |   275048   |

Waste  from  chemical  manufacturing  industry  like  Pesticide,  Pharmaceutical, Petrochemical,  Dye  &  Dye  intermediate,  Fertilizer,  Refinery,  Organic  chemical, Paint,  etc.  is  classified  as  hazardous  waste  based  on  the  toxic  characteristics. Such waste is listed in Schedule -I of HOWM Rules, 2016.

The companies which are involved in handling, generation, collection,  storage, packaging,  transportation,  use,  treatment,  processing,  recycling,  recovery,  preprocessing, co-processing, utilisation, offering for sale, transfer or disposal of the hazardous  waste  are  required to be carried out only after obtaining an authorization from the concerned State Pollution Control Board (SPCB)/ Pollution Control Committee (PCC) and in accordance with the procedures laid down under the Rule 6 of the said Rules. For management of hazardous wastes, the hierarchy steps shall be followed mainly 1. prevention; 2. minimization; 3. reuse, 4. recycling; 5.  recovery,  6.  utilization  including  co-processing  and  7.  safe  disposal  through incineration or secured landfilling.

Further, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has published various guidelines for  effective  management  of  hazardous  waste.  CPCB  has  also  prepared  68 Standard  Operating  Procedures  (SOPs)  for  utilization  of  various  categories  of hazardous waste and circulated to all SPCB/PCC. All guidelines and SOPs are available at CPCB website https://cpcb.nic.in/technical-guidelines/ and https://cpcb.nic.in/sop-for-hw-specific/ respectively.

As per information received from Telangana SPCB, the TSPCB is regulating the generation of hazardous waste from industries and stipulating the conditions for scientific  disposal  of  the  same.  The  TSPCB  is  monitoring  all  the  Pharma  and Chemical industries on quarterly basis as per the inspection protocol to verify the compliance of the Consent conditions and hazardous authorization conditions.

- (e) & (f) SPCB/PCC are the prescribed authority for implementation of Rules including monitoring  of  compliance  of  various  provisions,  conditions  of  authorization  and taking action against violations of the aforesaid rules as per Rule 21 and Scheduled VII of HOWM Rules, 2016. Further, CPCB also carry out random inspection of few units for compliance verification of HOWM Rules, 2016. Details of inspections and action taken in last 3 years are given at Annexure-I .

The non-complying industries are  reviewed  by  the  TSPCB  and  action  is  being initiated on the defaulting industries which includes Closure of 26 industries and directions to 276 industries.

****

Annexure-I Inspections Carried out and action taken by CPCB

|   S. No. | Name & Number of units inspected (Date of inspection)                                                                                                 | Matter (complaint/ Court case)                 | Joint team/ committee                     | Issues and Action taken                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Remarks                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | 59 Induction Furnaces 44 Rolling Mills, Mandi Gobindgarh, Punjab (during 1 st visit 21.02.2020 to 02.03.2020 and 2 nd visit 16.03.2020 to 20.03.2020) | NGT matter (Principal Bench) O.A. no. 924/2019 | PPCB, Municipal Council, Mandi Gobindgarh | CPCB observed many units have not installed Display Board, not maintaining records of hazardous waste, proper stack and were operating without valid consents under Air/Water Act and/or Authorization under HOWM Rules, 2016 and hence, recommended PPCB to take appropriate actions. | Therefore, PPCB issued show cause notices to 50 units. 18 units having major violations, Environmental compensation upon 16 units amounting to Rs. 22 lacs was imposed and Bank guarantee amounting to Rs. 2.50 lacs was imposed on 2 units. These action has been recorded in Hon'ble NGT order dated 01.10.2020 in the matter of O.A. no. 924/2019; Neeraj Goyal Vs State of Punjab |
|        2 | Oil refineries-IOCL Panipat (18.08.2020), HPCL Bhatinda (22.08.2020)                                                                                  | NGT matter (Principal Bench) O.A. no. 67/2020  | WBPCB PPCB APCB HSPCB DPCC                | Committee observed violations of HOWM Rules and Authorization conditions and recommended PPCB, WBPCB,CECBandHSPCB to impose Environmental Compensation (EC) and                                                                                                                        | PPCB, WBPCB, CECB and HSPCB imposed EC and FP accordingly on the defaulting units.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|        3 | Spent catalyst Recyclers- Ganesh Steel & Alloys, Kolkata (12.08.2020), Lakhdata Petrochem Bhatinda (21.08.2020),                                      | NGT matter (Principal Bench) O.A. no. 67/2020  | WBPCB PPCB APCB HSPCB DPCC                | Committee observed violations of HOWM Rules and Authorization conditions and recommended PPCB, WBPCB,CECBandHSPCB to impose Environmental Compensation (EC) and                                                                                                                        | PPCB, WBPCB, CECB and HSPCB imposed EC and FP accordingly on the defaulting units.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |

| S. No.   | Name & Number of units inspected (Date of inspection)                              | Matter (complaint/ Court case)   | Joint team/ committee   | Issues and Action taken                                                                                                                                                                                        | Remarks                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|-------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|          | Refracast, Refmet, Arth Metallurgical, Ashtdhatu in Chhattisgarh (Dec 17- 18.2020) |                                  |                         | Financial Penalty (FP) on defaulting units.                                                                                                                                                                    |                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 4.       | M/s Malana Silver Nitrate Recycling, Sangrur, Punjab (22.04.2019)                  | NGT matter O.A. No. 394/2019     | PPCB DPCC               | Violations of HOWM as well as PWMRules, 2016.                                                                                                                                                                  | Factual report along with recommendation w.r.t. storage, labelling and conducting analysis of hazardous waste submitted to Hon'ble NGT. Case disposed directing compliance of recommendation. |
| 5.       | M/s Vishakha Solvents Ltd., Vishakhapatnam.(14.08.2020)                            | NGT matter O.A. no. 134/2020     | APPCB Andhra University | Massive fire due to accident in Solvent Recovery Unit of M/s Vishakha Solvents Ltd. EC of Rs. 30,01,092/- imposed on M/s Ramky Pharmacity And M/s Vishakha Solvents jointly for violation of HOWM Rules, 2016. | EC deposited by both the units on 08.06.2021. Case disposed directing compliance recommendations of committee.                                                                                |
| 6.       | Eco Earth Industries, Raipur, Chhattisgarh (23.11.2020)                            | Public Complaints                | CECB                    | Violations of HOWM Rules, 2016 reported and accorded permission to CECB for                                                                                                                                    | CECB issued final direction to the unit for deposition of FP.                                                                                                                                 |

| S. No.   | Name & Number of units inspected (Date of inspection)             | Matter (complaint/ Court case)   | Joint team/ committee   | Issues and Action taken                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Remarks                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|          |                                                                   |                                  |                         | imposition of Financial Penalty (FP).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| 7.       | M/s Greenmac Industries, Chhattisgarh (24.04.2019 & 28.04.2019)   | Public Complaints                | CECB                    | Violations of conditions of SoP for utilization of SPL and HOWMRules, 2016. Show cause notice (02.08.2019) issued to the unit and personal hearing was conducted on 07.10.2019 and decided that unit shall deposit EC of Rs. 28,80,000/-.                                     | Unit in compliance of CPCB direction, deposited the amount in CPCB EC account on 27.12.2019. CECB vide letter dated 11.03.2020 submitted compliance status of the unit and recommended for normal operation of unit. |
| 8.       | M/s Krishna Calcination & Refractories, Katni, M. P. (28.10.2018) | Public Complaints                |                         | Violations of conditions of SoP for utilization of SPL and HOWMRules, 2016. CPCB issued direction to Madhya Pradesh PCB for not to allow the industrial operations by the unit unless the unit upgrade the facility as per CPCB'sSOP besides other directions for compliances | MPPCB revoked the directions issued by them to the unit based on the upgradtion made by the unit and decisions taken by the State Government in reference to the appeal by made by the unit.                         |