Mumbai: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), in its report presented to the Maharashtra Assembly Wednesday, expressed concern over waste management in urban areas and the poor performance of the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in collecting the solid waste management charges and undertaking steps for its improvement.
The CAG has recommended the government to prepare a comprehensive policy and strategy for solid waste management focusing on minimising the generation of waste.
According to the report, the percentage of uncollected waste in Maharashtra was 41 per cent during 2021-22, while 64 per cent (29 out of 45 Urban Local Bodies) of the test checked ULBs did not achieve the service level benchmark of household level coverage of collection of waste.
The audit also noticed deficiencies in the segregation of waste at the source.
“Construction and demolition waste in the state remained largely unprocessed and was disposed of by landfilling or filling of low-lying areas. 76 per cent (34 ULBs) of the test-checked ULBs were collecting bio-medical waste generated by households mixed with solid waste. In 24 out of the 45 checked ULBs, e-waste collected was mixed with solid waste. 25 per cent of the waste collected was not processed in 45 test-checked ULBs during 2021-22. Sanitary landfills were not developed in 26 out of 45 test-checked ULBs. 13 out of 40 test-checked ULBs did not plan for bio-mining and bio-remediation or scientific capping of open dumpsites. A significant number of ULBs did not distribute various items of personal protection equipment kits to workers,” the report said.
The report pointed out that the state government had issued government resolutions and orders for segregation of waste at source, banning the sale and use of single-use plastic and levy fines for littering.
However, the government did not prepare state policy and strategy for solid waste management as envisaged in the Solid Waste Management Rules (SWM Rules).
“Detailed Project Reports for a period of five years (short-term) were prepared by all the 42 test-checked Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). Long-term plans in Detailed Project Reports were framed in 71 per cent (30 out of 42 ULBs) of the test-checked ULBs. The audit noticed an incorrect estimation of waste generation and processing capacity planned in the Detailed Project Reports.
“There were delays in framing the byelaws incorporating the provisions of the SWM Rules by ULBs. 12 out of the 45 test-checked ULBs did not levy user charges for solid waste management services, while 94 per cent (33 ULBs) of the test-checked ULBs did not achieve the target of 90 per cent efficiency in the collection of solid waste charges,” it said.
It has recommended that the government direct ULBs to prepare holistic, detailed project reports for solid waste management.
Among other recommendations include government directing ULBs to levy user charges on solid waste management services, reviewing the poor performance of the ULBs in collecting the solid waste management charges and steps for its improvement, ensuring that ULBs install weighbridges for weighment of solid waste, directing the ULBs to take proactive steps for the formation of Self-Help Groups of waste pickers and encourage their involvement in solid waste management.
Further, it has recommended that an arrangement with Common Bio Medical Waste Treatment Facility may be ensured for proper disposal of collected biomedical waste.
The government may direct the ULBs to create and augment processing facilities for processing waste and set up material recovery/secondary storage facilities in a time-bound manner, develop sanitary landfills for the scientific disposal of waste. UCBs may ensure that personal protection equipment are provided and used by workers involved in handling waste.
IANS
