Lok Sabha Question No. 1257 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-11
Subject: Scientific Waste Treatment Facilities
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: M. P. Abdussamad Samadani

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1257

TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.12.2023

## Scientific Waste Treatment Facilities

## 1257.  DR. M.P. ABDUSSAMAD SAMADANI:

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

- (a) whether the Government has any plan to develop scientific waste treatment facilities in each district  of  the  State  of  Kerala  to  ensure  the  safe  handling  of  hazardous materials and if so, the details  thereof;
- (b) whether the existing facilities for the treatment of hospital wastes deemed adequate; and
- (c) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  upgrade  these  facilities  and  if  so,  the  details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c) Government of India has notified the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and  Transboundary  Movement)  [HOWM]  Rules,  2016,  to  ensure  safe  handling,  storage, recycling, utilisation, treatment  and  disposal  of  industrial  hazardous and other  wastes in  an environmentally  sound  manner  without  causing  adverse  effect  to  environment  and  human health. As per the Rule 16.(1) of the HOWM Rules, the State Government, occupier, operator of  a  facility  or  any  association  of  occupiers  shall  individually  or  jointly  or  severally  be responsible for identification  of  sites for establishing  the facility  for  treatment,  storage  and disposal of the hazardous and other wastes in the State.

As  per  the  Central  Pollution  Board  (CPCB),  there  is  01  common  hazardous  waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) having secured landfills facility for disposal of  hazardous  waste  available  in  the  State  of  Kerala.  During,  2021-22  about  18,699  MT  of HW has  been  disposed  in  the  secured  landfill  (SLF).  The  authorized  capacity  of  landfill facility is 50,000 MTA and operational since 2003. As per the information received from the Kerala  State  Pollution  Control  Board  (KSPCB)  on  generation  and  disposal  of  industrial hazardous  waste  in  SLFs,  capacity  of  Common  SLF  will  cater  the  disposal  of  hazardous waste for  next  08  years.  Hence,  District  wise  facilities  for  disposal  of  industrial  hazardous waste many not be required.

Further,  Government  of  India  has  notified  the  Bio-medical  Waste  Management  Rules, 2016  which  stipulate  provision  for  treatment  and  disposal  of  biomedical  waste  in  an environmentally sound manner. As per the said Rules, the healthcare facilities are required to handover  the  segregated  biomedical  waste  to  Common  Bio-medical  Waste  Treatment Facilities (CBWTFs)  for  further treatment and disposal. As  per the  Annual  Report

Information  on  Biomedical  Waste  Management  for  year  2021  received  from  KSPCB,  the biomedical waste generation is 62 tons/day which is treated and disposed off through 2 nos. of  CBWTFs  having  total  capacity  of  71.8  tons/day  as  well  as  captive  treatment  facilities installed by 44 nos. of healthcare facilities.

The  CBWTFs  cater  to  the  requirements  in  every  district  of  Kerala  for  treatment  and disposal of biomedical waste. The treatment capacity of the installed CBWTFs is adequate to dispose of biomedical waste generated by healthcare facilities located in all 14 Districts of Kerala.  As  per  information  received  from  KSPCB,  an  integrated  Consent  to  Establish  has been issued to set up new CBWTF at Adoor for treatment and disposal of biomedical waste generated in State of Kerala.

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