State yet to take steps on MSW management

Assam Tribune: Guwahatti: Saturday, 18 October 2014.

This is contrary to what the Governments in the State as well as at the Centre are trying to tell these days through their cleanliness drives. Almost all the local bodies in the State have not taken any step to prevent pollution, which may arise from their municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal sites.

This came to light from the annual review report submitted by the Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA) to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for the year 2010-11 under the provisions of the Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2000.

Again, the PCBA said in the report that the urban local bodies of the State are yet to take necessary steps on proper management of MSW in the areas of collection, segregation, storage, transportation, processing and disposal.

The report stated that there are 83 local bodies with a lone municipal corporation, 29 municipal boards and 53 town committees in the State.

It needs mention here that according to the provisions of the Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2000, the Pollution Control Board of each of the States is to submit annual reports to the CPCB on the implementation of these rules.

Significantly, the PCBA submitted its report on March 21, 2012 and according to the CPCB, the PCBA ‘has not furnished Annual Report to the CPCB for the year 2011-12 & 2012-13.’ The CPCB supplied RTI activist Rohit Choudhury all these information in reply to an RTI application filed by him on April 25 last.

The Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000 has stated in its clause 8: “The State Boards and the Committees shall prepare and submit to the Central Pollution Control Board an annual report with regard to the implementation of these rules by the 15th of September every year in Form-IV.”