Lok Sabha Question No. 2578 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-10
Subject: Hazardous Wastes
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: MAULANA BADRUDDIN AJMAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2578

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.05.2016

## Hazardous Wastes

## 2578. SHRI BADRUDDIN AJMAL:

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

- (a) whether hazardous wastes are posing great threat to public health and environment;
- (b) if so, the details thereof including the quantum of hazardous waste generated annually;
- (c) the mechanism in place to monitor the units which generate hazardous wastes; and
- (d) the remedial action taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

- (a) &(b) Hazardous  wastes  due  to  their  reactive,  toxic,  flammable,  explosive  or corrosive characterstic cause danger or is likely to cause danger to health or environment, whether alone or in contact with other wastes or substances. It basically  comprises  of  the  waste  generated  during  the  manufacturing processes  of  the  commercial  products  such  as  industries  involved  in petroleum refining, production of pharmaceuticals, petroleum, paint, aluminum,  electronic  products  etc.  As  per,  the  information  furnished  by CPCB in the year 2015, the total hazardous waste generation in the country is 7.46 million metric tonnes per annum from about 44,000 industries.
- (c) As  per  Hazardous  and  Other  Wastes  (Management  and  Transboundary Movement)  Rules,  2016  monitoring  of  units  which  generate  hazardous wastes comes under ambit of State Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees of Union Territories.
- (d) The Government has comprehensively revised the Hazardous Waste (Management,  Handling  and  Transboundary  Movement)  Rules,  2008  in April, 2016 and Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary  Movement)  Rules,  2016  have  been  notified.  The  salient features of the Rules,2016 are listed below:
- i. The  ambit  of  the  Rules  has  been  expanded  by  including 'Other Wastes'.
- ii. Permission for handling such wastes in the form of Authorization and Registration requirement is replaced with one permission i.e. authorization.
- iii. The basic necessity of infrastructure to safeguard the environment  and  health  has  been  prescribed  as  Standard
- Operating Procedure (SOPs) specific to waste type.
- iv. Waste Management hierarchy in the sequence of priority as prevention, minimization,  reuse, recycling,  recovery,  coprocessing; and safe disposal being incorporated.
- v. Responsibilities  of  State  Government  for  environmentally sound management of hazardous and other wastes have been introduced fro skill development, health safety etc.
- vi. Various  Schedules  have  been  reviewed  as  per  international best practices.
- vii. The list  of  waste  prohibited  for  import  has  been  revised  by inclusion of waste edible fats, household waste, critical care medical  equipment,  tyres  for  direct  re-use  purpose,  solid plastic  wastes,  waste  electrical  and  electronic  assemblies scrap and other chemical wastes especially in solvent form.

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