Lok Sabha Question No. 1431 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-31
Subject: Waste to Electricity  plants
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Dr. T Sumathy Alias Thamizhachi Thangapandian

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1431

ANSWERED ON 31/07/2024

## WASTE TO ELECTRICITY PLANTS

## 1431. DR. T SUMATHY ALIAS THAMIZHACHI THANGAPANDIAN

Will the Minister of NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that Waste to Electricity plants have been found to violate pollution norms and cause environmental issues such as increased pollution levels, noise, and foul smell and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the measures being taken by the Government to address the pollution concerns associated with Waste to Electricity plants, and to ensure compliance with pollution norms; and
- (c) whether the Government has studied and adopted global best practices to reduce pollution from Waste to Electricity plants, and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF  STATE  FOR NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)

- (a) to (c) Yes. Some instances of such violation have been noticed.

Environmental issues associated with Waste to Electricity plants violating pollution norms, are given below:

## i. Air Pollution:

- Emissions from boiler & waste handling area
- Odor from waste handling & storage area
- ii. Water Pollution:
- Leachate from solid waste storage area
- iii. Solid Waste:
- Bottom Ash and Fly Ash
- Rejects from waste generation area

However, waste-to-electricity  plants  require  to  obtain  consent  under  the  Air  (Prevention  and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, to ensure that the plants adhere to environmental standards for air and water quality

Further, the following provisions have been made in Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016 to control the pollution generated from Waste to Energy plants:

- i. Non-recyclable  waste  having  calorific  value  of  1500  Kcal/kg  or  more  shall  not  be disposed of on landfills and shall only be utilized for generating energy either or through refuse derived fuel or by giving away as feed stock for preparing refuse derived fuel.
- ii. High calorific wastes shall be used for co-processing in cement or thermal power plants.
- iii. The local body or an operator of facility or an agency designated by them proposing to set up waste to energy plant of more than five tonnes per day processing capacity shall submit an application in Form-I to the State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee, as the case may be, for authorization.
- iv. The State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee, on receiving such application  for  setting  up  waste  to  energy  facility,  shall  examine  the  same  and  grant permission within sixty days.
- v. As per para- B & C of Schedule-II of SWM Rules-2016, Standards for treated leachate & incineration have been specified.
- vi. Regular monitoring by State PCBs & PCCs is ensured for compliance of the standards as prescribed. CPCB has also inspected various waste to energy plants across the Country.

The Government has studied and adopted suitable global practices for Waste to Energy projects from time to time. A task force created by the Planning Commission published a report on Waste to Energy in 2014, in which the best practices prevalent globally, i.e. in European Union (EU), Japan, Australia, China, Netherlands, etc were carefully considered. The report recommended the concept for promotion of 5Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recover, Recycle and Remanufacture), as in the EU, besides, the feed-in-tariff for waste to energy plants, tax incentives etc. The SWM Rules 2016, includes the concept of reuse, reduce, recycle & recovery in the Solid Waste Management.

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