Question : SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

(a) whether municipal solid waste causes environmental pollution; and

(b) if so,the measures being taken by the Government to promote various technologies available for processing of the municipal solid waste?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (SHRI NAMO NARAIN MEENA)

(a) Improper disposal of Municipal Solid Waste has the potential to cause environmental pollution.

(b) The Ministry of Environment and Forests notified the Municipal Solid Wastes

(Management and Handling) Rules, 2000 vide S.O. 908(E) the 25th September, 2000 for the sound management of Municipal Solid Wastes. These rules provide detailed compliance criteria for the collection, storage, segregation, transportation, processing and disposal of municipal solid wastes. As per these rules the local bodies are required to comply with prescribed waste processing and disposal technologies viz. Composting, Vermi-composting, incineration, anaerobic waste digestion.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests along with Central Pollution Control Board facilitates the setting up of demonstration projects on the management of Municipal Solid Waste on cost sharing basis. The Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources is also implementing a National Programme for Energy Recovery from` Urban and Industrial Wastes to promote new technologies such as biomethanation, pyrolysis/gasification and combustion for -processing and disposal of wastes.