NGT asks MP Govt to help other states in adapting Indore's waste management model

In view of successful waste management model at Indore, the National Green Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi has asked the government of Madhya Pradesh to offer assistance in training and capacity building for waste management to other States.

The coram of Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel (Chairperson), Justice Sudhir Agarwal (Judicial Member), and Prof. A. Senthil Vel (Expert Member) passed the order while dealing with the issue of monitoring of solid waste management as per orders of the Supreme Court in Almitra H. Patel v. Union of India, 2014 as well as liquid waste management in Paryavaran Suraksha v. Union of India, (2017).

Before transferring the issue of solid waste management to NGT, the matter was monitored by the Supreme Court for about eighteen years. Similarly, the Tribunal was asked in 2017 to monitor directions for proper treatment of sewage and other effluents being discharged in water bodies.

On November 10, the Chief Secretary, Madhya Pradesh field a Compliance status report of the earlier directions of the Tribunal in Madhya Pradesh.

Taking note of the report, the Tribunal observed that there was not much improvement since 2020. On the Chief Secretary’s submissions that there is improved governance on the subject and further initiatives are planned which will soon result in bridging the existing gaps in solid and liquid waste management, the Tribunal directed that steps have to be taken in a mission mode to comply with MSW Rules without further delay.

Tribunal, however, noted that from the presentation of the Chief Secretary, it appeared that Indore City had been presented as one of the “Good Models”.

It is generating 1192 TPD of solid waste and has installed functional waste processing facilities for 1474 TPD. These facilities are set up in the form of centralized/ decentralized plants for wet, dry, sanitary and domestic hazardous and e-waste. In addition, centralized C&D plant for 100 TPD and landfill for residual waste with capacity of 6 lakh tones has been set up against 36 TPD, the Tribunal pointed out.

The Tribunal further highlighted that the Indore Corporation has remediated 15 lakh MT of legacy waste and, in the process has reclaimed 100 acres of land worth Rs. 300 crores and also this land has been transformed into city forest by planting 1.50 lakh trees.

Such initiative may need study and replication elsewhere in and out of the State, the Coram said.

Moreover, the Chief Secretary, MP apprised the Tribunal that in the state, MP Urban Development Company has been registered under the Companies Act in the year 2014 which caters to the process of giving contracts for handing waste which pattern may be considered by other States/UTs, if found viable.

Therefore, the Tribunal suggested to the Chief Secretary, MP to offer assistance in training and capacity building to other States and the Chief Secretary also agreed to it.

The Chief Secretary told the Tribunal that he will address a communication to Chief Secretaries of all States/UTs on the subject.