Lok Sabha Question No. 2723 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-10
Subject: Deonar Dumping Ground
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: KIRIT SOMAIYA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2723 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.05.2016

## Deonar Dumping Ground

## 2723.   DR. KIRIT SOMAIYA

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

- (a) whether the Government has received several representations/ complaints regarding the environmental hazard caused by the dumping ground at Deonar and closure of the same and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the action taken by the Government for protection of the environment in the adjacent localities of Deonar Dumping Ground;
- (c) whether the Government is aware of the fire in Deonar Dumping Ground which went on for almost 7 days resulting in severe environmental pollution in the area and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the  remedial  measures  being  contemplated  by  the  Government  to  prevent  such environmental hazards in future in the country including Mumbai?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

(a)  to  (c)The  Government  has  received  information  and  representations  regarding  the problems of garbage disposal system of Mumbai and associated environmental problemsincluding that of dumping ground at Deonar.The Government is also aware about the fire hazard in January and March, 2016 at Deonar dumping ground. The measures taken by  the  Government  for  environmentally  sound  management  of  garbage  disposal  include directions by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) to undertake remedial action for scientific closure of the landfill,arrangements for venting / flaring / utilization of the methane gas from the dumps, spray of environment friendly deodorant to control odor, composting of organic waste etc.

Deonar  dump  site  visit  was  undertaken  by  Union  Minister  of  Environment,  Forest  and Climate Change to have a direct assessment of the prevailing conditions and problems.   A Central  team  also  visited  the  site  for  scientific  study  of  the  site  conditions  and  to  suggest remedial  measures.    At  the  same  time  a  meeting  of  stake  holders  was  convened  in  the Ministry which was attended by Municipal Commissioner, Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Principal Secretary, Environment, Government of Maharashtra, Member Secretary, Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board and representatives of Central Pollution Control Board.    It  was  inter-alia  decided  in  the  meeting  that  Mumbai  Municipal  Corporation  will undertake immediate measures to arrest the fire, preventive measures like scientific closure of the site, security system to be put in place, facility to rag pickers to move in the site, methods for release of the inflammable gases; and to develop the systems for scientific collection and disposal of solid waste from entire Mumbai city.

- (d) For effective environmentally sound management of problems associated with solid waste,  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change,  has  comprehensively  revised the  Solid  Waste  Management  rules  in  April,  2016  in  supersession  of  the  Municipal  Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, after sixteen years. These rules apply to all urban areas in the Country including Mumbai. These rules aim source segregation of waste in to three streams, Wet (Biodegradable), Dry (Plastic, Paper, metal, wood, etc.) and domestic hazardous wastes (diapers, napkins, empty containers of cleaning agents, mosquito repellents, etc.) and to channelize dry waste like paper, plastic, glass, metal etc. for recycling & reuse, wet wastes from kitchen and food for composting or bio-methanation, or anaerobic digestion or  any  other  appropriate  processing  for  bio-stabilization  of  biodegradable  wastes;  waste  to energy processes including refused derived fuel for combustible fraction of waste or supply as feedstock to solid waste based power plants or cement kilns and only inert to landfills so that the possibility of generation of methane and thereby fire hazard could be eliminated.

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