NEW DELHI: The Centre has taken cognizance of the fire incident at Deonar Dumping ground in Mumbai and has notified the solid waste management rules for sound management of such wastes, Rajya Sabha was informed today.
"Yes Sir. The Ministry has comprehensively revised municipal solid waste (management and handling) Rules 2000 and notified the rules in April 2016...
"... for environmentally sound management of solid waste at all locations including the dumping grounds for waste in metropolitan cities," Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave said in a written reply.
The question was asked by cricketer turned MP Sachin Tendulkar as to whether the Ministry has taken due cognizance of fire at Deonar Dumping ground at Mumbai.
Dave said that the SWM rules emphasises on resource recovery, recycling and reuse by way of segregation of waste through involvement of the waste pickers and self help groups, channelization of the dry and recyclable waste, use of biodegradable waste for composting, vermi composting and bio-methanisation amongst others.
"Permitting only the non usable, non recyclable, non biodegradable, non combustible and non-reactive inert waste and residues from waste processing facilities to go to sanitary landfills for minimizing the requirement of landfill sites," Dave said while elaborating about the points in the rules.
In a separate question, Tendulkar also asked whether the Ministry has considered a solid waste management policy of a binding law for metropolitan cities to follow.