Hazardous Waste Management Rules, 2016
On April 5, 2016, the Ministry of Environment has recently updated the Hazardous Waste Management Rules. Here are some of the most important notes on this topic.
Salient Features
Applicability
The new Hazardous Waste Management rules have been issued under the Environment Protection Act and around 17000 municipal towns come within its ambit. Beyond municipal areas, the rules are also applicable to urban agglomerations, census towns, notified industrial townships, areas under the control of Indian Railways, airports, airbase, port and harbour, defence establishments, special economic zones, State and Central government organizations, places of pilgrims, religious & historical importance.
Defining Other Wastes
For the first time, the ambit of the Rules has been expanded to include ‘other wastes’; and a distinction between Hazardous Waste and other wastes have been made. Other wastes include: Waste tyre, paper waste, metal scrap, used electronic items, etc. These wastes have been identified as a resource for recycling and reuse. These resources will help in reducing the load on the virgin resources by supplementing the industrial processes.
User Fee and Sport Fine
The new rules allow the municipalities to levy user free for waste management and make individuals responsible for disposal of the garbage. The source segregation of waste has been mandated to channelize the waste to wealth by recovery, reuse and recycle. The municipalities have also been allowed to ‘Spot Fine’ for Littering and Non-segregation.
Responsibilities of Waste Generators
Responsibilities of waste Generators have been introduced to segregate 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 handover segregated wastes to authorized rag-pickers or waste collectors or local bodies.
Integration of waste / rag pickers into formal system
The new rules have put the onus of integration of waste pickers/ rag pickers and waste dealers/ Kabadiwalas in the formal system on State Governments, and Self Help Groups.
Partnership in Swachh Bharat
The new rules have introduced the concept of Partnership with Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The institutional generators such as hotels and restaurants have been made directly responsible for segregation and sorting the waste in partnership with local bodies.
Procedural Simplification
Procedure has been simplified for setting up of hazardous waste disposal facility and import of other wastes by merging all the approvals with the provision for single window clearance.
Streamlining Import and Export
The process of import/export of waste has been streamlined and the list of waste regulated for import/export has been revised. There is no need to obtain environment ministry’s permission for import of metal scrap, paper waste and various categories of electrical and electronic equipments for re-use purpose.
Items banned for Import
Waste edible fats and oil of animals, or vegetable origin, Household waste, Critical Care Medical equipment, Tyres for direct re-use purpose, Solid Plastic wastes including Pet bottles, Waste electrical and electronic assemblies scrap, other chemical wastes especially in solvent form among others have been prohibited for import.
Why there is a need for the new rules?
Unscientific disposal methods like burning or incineration adopted to dispose hazardous and other wastes results in the emission of toxic fumes comprising of Dioxins & Furans, mercury, heavy metals leading to air pollution and associated health ailments. Disposal of hazardous wastes in water bodies or municipal dumps leads to leaching of toxic substances in land and water resulting in degradation of soil and water quality. The workers employed in unscientific hazardous waste management facilities are found to suffer from neurological disorders, skin diseases, genetic defects and cancer. So, there is a need for systematic management of hazardous and other waste by adopting the practices like prevention, minimisation, re-use, recycling, recovery, utilisation including co-processing and safe disposal of waste.
What are the criticisms?
Experts point out that, although the government has banned the import of plastic waste it has allowed the import of used e-waste in a scenario where there already exists a huge problem of e-wastes in India. It is estimated that India generates nearly 17 lakh tones of e-waste every year and is estimated to increase at the rate of 5% a year.
