New Delhi: India generates an alarming 25,940 tons of plastic waste every day, the government revealed in Lok Sabha on Friday. The data was tabled by MoS for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Babul Supriyo, in response to a question directed at the Environment ministry.
BJP MPs Sudheer Kumar, Bidyut Baran Mahato and Rakesh Singh, Shiv Sena MPs Gajanan Kiritkar and Sanjay Sadasivrao Mandlik, along with JD (U) MP Kaushalendra Kumar together inquired the government about the amount of plastic generated in India every day. Supriyo, in his response, said, “Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) conducted study in 60 major cities of India. It has been estimated that around 4059 ton per day of plastic waste is generated from these cities. Extrapolating this, it is estimated that around 25,940 ton per day of plastic waste is generated in the country.”
In response to another question on plastic consumption patterns of Indians, Supriyo said that plastic usage in India had been rising at the staggering rate 8.3% every year.
“According to National Accounts Statistics 2015, brought out by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the average production/consumption of plastic products during the years 2011-12 to 2015-16 (up to September 2015) is 707 Million Metric Tons per annum with the growth rate of8.3% per year in chemical and chemical products sector,” he said.
Supriyo told the House that the major cities generating plastic waste are Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
The National Green Tribunal had issued directions to the states and the Union Territories for implementation of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
The Government has notified Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, according to which, the generators of waste must take steps to minimize generation of plastic waste, not to litter the plastic waste, ensure segregated storage of waste at source and hand over segregated waste to local bodies or agencies authorized by the local bodies.
The rules also mandate the responsibilities of local bodies, gram panchayats, waste generators, retailers and street vendors to manage plastic waste.
Apart from this, the rules also make it compulsory for producers, importers and brand owners to work out modalities for waste collection system based on the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility.
The occupational safety, health and welfare of workers employed in the factories are taken care by various government legislations like the Factories Act 1948, among others.
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