Concerns are raised over the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) which is shifting the city’s garbage dump to the site of a defunct thermal power plant in Chandrapur, which is an ecological sensitive site.
Context
Concerns are raised over the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) which is shifting the city’s garbage dump to the site of a defunct thermal power plant in Chandrapur, which is an ecological sensitive site.
About the dumping violation
- Guwahati reportedly generates around 5000 sites of solid waste every day.
- Since 2006, about 95% of this waste has been dumped at the Boragaon site, located near the DeeporBeel Wildlife Sanctuary.
- The dumpsite’s proximity to the sanctuary violated the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2000 and the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules 2010, both rules for polluting a protected site.
- In April 2019, the principal bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) asked the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) to shift the dumpsite in two months.
- The NGT order led the GMC to undertake all the necessary arrangements to handle, store and segregate the waste as according to the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016.
Solid Waste Management Rules 2016
- Segregation Of Waste Is Important: All waste generators should start to segregate their waste into three categories – Biodegradables, Dry Waste (Plastic, metal, Paper, Wood) and Domestic Hazardous Waste (diapers, mosquito repellents, napkins, cleaning agents).
- Introducing New Things – User Fees And Spot Fines: Under the new rules, waste generators will have to pay some amount of the waste collectors for activities like collection, disposal, and processing of waste. The local body across India has the authority to decide the ‘User Fees.
- Collect Back System For Non-biodegradable Packaging Waste: The new guidelines says that the brand owners who sell their products in packaging material which are non?biodegradable or are not environmental friendly. They will have to put a system in place to collect back the packaging waste generated due to the production.
- Guidelines for the Over-growing Landfills: No non-recyclable waste that have the calorific value of 1500 K/cal/kg or more shall be disposed in landfills. This waste can either be utilised for generating energy or it can be further used for preparing refuse derived fuel.
- Waste Processing and Treatment Guidelines: The new rules advise that the bio-degradable waste should be processed, treated and should be disposed of through composting or bio-methanation within the premises as far as possible. The residual waste shall be given to the waste collectors or agency as directed by the local authority.
- The Process of Monitoring: The government has also established a Central Monitoring Committee under chairmanship of Secretary, MoEF&CC to monitor overall implementation of the rules effectively.
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