Lok Sabha Question No. 4687 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-21
Subject: Status of Solid Waste Processing Plant in Chandigarh
Ministry: HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Manish Tewari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4687 TO BE ANSWERED ON AUGUST 21, 2025

## STATUS OF SOLID WASTE PROCESSING PLANT IN CHANDIGARH

NO. 4687 SHRI MANISH TEWARI:

Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that the Solid Waste Processing Plant in  Chandigarh  has  remained  non-operational  since  April  2024  and  the sanitation workers linked to the facility have not received wages for over three months;
- (b) if so, the number of workers affected by wage delays, the reasons for nonpayment along with the steps taken to ensure timely disbursal of salaries;
- (c) whether the Government has received any request or proposal from the Chandigarh  Administration  for  re-tendering  of  plant  operations  or  for setting up of alternate solid waste processing mechanisms and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the average quantum of solid waste generated daily in Chandigarh along with the manner in which it is currently being managed in the absence of a functional plant; and
- (e) whether  any  penal  or  contractual  action  has  been  taken  against  the private  concessionaire  responsible  for  the  facility's  operational  failure and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (SHRI TOKHAN SAHU)

- (a)  to  (e)  :  Sanitation  is  a  State  subject  under  7th  schedule  of  the constitution and by the 74th amendment of the Constitution of India the devolution of power has been made to the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) for water and sanitation services. It is the responsibility of State/UTs/Urban Local  Bodies  (ULBs)  to  plan,  design,  execute  and  operate  sanitation projects in the urban areas of the country. Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) supplements the efforts of States/UTs by providing policy directions, financial and technical support by sharing Manuals/Standard of Procedures (SoPs) on Solid Waste Management (SWM) & Used Water Management (UWM) and issue various Advisories & Guidelines time to time  for  choosing  appropriate  technologies  to  manage  solid  and  liquid waste.

To  support  States/UTs  with  adequate  sanitation  and  solid  waste management systems Government of India launched the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban  (SBM-U)  on  October  2,  2014  with  the  objective  of  Open Defecation Free (ODF) cities and for scientific processing of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) generated in all urban areas of the country including Chandigarh. To carry forward the progress made, Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM-U) 2.0 has been launched on October 1, 2021 for a period of five years with a vision of achieving Garbage Free Status for all cities through source segregation, door to door collection and scientific management of all fractions of waste. Under SBM-U, funds are released by Government of India to the States/UTs on the basis of their action plan duly approved by State Level Technical Committee (SLTC).

UT  of  Chandigarh  has  reported,  100%  door  to  door  collection  is practiced in 100% of the wards i.e. 35 wards out of the total 35 wards and source segregation is being practiced in 100% of the wards i.e. 35 wards out of total 35 wards. Further, processing of municipal solid waste is also reported  to  be  100%  i.e.  out  of  total  490  tons  per  day  (TPD)  of  waste generated, 490 TPD waste is processed.

Further, UT of Chandigarh has been allocated an amount of ₹28.50 crores under SWM component of SBM-U 2.0. Out of the allocated funds, action plans having central share of ₹28.50 crores have been approved and ₹21.27 crores have already been released.

*****