Chandigarh: Serious shortcomings in solid waste management across urban local bodies (ULBs) in Punjab have come to the fore in a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report.The report points to large volumes of untreated waste, delayed policy implementation and underutilisation of funds, raising concerns over environmental safety and public health in the state’s cities and towns.The performance audit on “Solid Waste Management by Urban Local Bodies in Punjab”, covering the period 2017 to 2022, found that despite growing waste generation due to rapid urbanisation, systems for planning, processing and scientific disposal of municipal solid waste remained inadequate.In Punjab, the daily generation of solid waste during 2021-22 was 4,222 MT. Of this, 4,207 MT was collected, but only 35% or 1,471 MT was treated, leaving about 65% of waste untreated, indicating a significant gap in solid waste management across 166 urban local bodies in the state.The audit found that the state govt did not formulate Solid Waste Management (SWM) and Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste Management policies in time, which delayed the framing of bye-laws by urban local bodies. As a result, crucial activities such as waste segregation, prevention of dumping in water bodies, legacy waste management and development of SWM infrastructure were not addressed effectively. Urban local bodies were also unable to prepare adequate action plans for waste management, mentioned the report. Underutilisation of fundsUrban local bodies also failed to fully utilise available funds meant for waste management. Out of Rs 1,011.33 crore allocated for solid waste management between 2017 and 2022, only Rs 692.32 crore was spent. Among the 20 selected ULBs, Rs 306.87 crore was utilised out of available funds of Rs 620.18 crore. Collection of user charges was also extremely low. Against a projected Rs 204.84 crore between April 2019 and March 2022, the selected ULBs collected only Rs 1.06 crore, which was just 0.52% of the target.Poor segregation Waste collection efficiency remained inadequate, with instances of waste being dumped into water bodies and the formation of “Garbage Vulnerable Points”. During physical inspections, auditors found unsegregated waste, including hazardous and sanitary waste, dumped at disposal sites. Infrastructure required for scientific waste processing, such as material recovery facilities, compost pits and sanitary landfills, was also insufficient. Consequently, 68% of collected waste remained unprocessed, leading to a build-up of legacy waste.The audit noted that such accumulation led to methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas, and increased the risk of fires at dumpsites. One such fire incident resulted in the death of seven persons, following which the National Green Tribunal imposed a penalty of Rs 100 crore.PPP projects & infra gapsThe department identified eight Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects for waste management, but only one project was operational. Municipal Corporation Amritsar failed to close three dumpsites, eliminate secondary waste collection points, construct sanitary landfills or install weighbridges.In Ludhiana, the Modern Carcass Utilisation Plant constructed at a cost of Rs 8.48 crore remained idle due to public protests, while a modern slaughterhouse built at a cost of Rs 20.57 crore was underutilised. Construction and demolition waste management was not implemented in any of the selected ULBs except Mohali, where such waste was used for constructing channels and kerbs.RecommendationsThe report recommended that the state govt and urban local bodies strengthen stakeholder participation in planning, fully utilise available funds, improve collection of user charges and strictly implement solid waste management rules. It also called for scientific management of legacy waste, development of integrated plans for handling other waste streams such as carcass and slaughterhouse waste, expansion of viable PPP projects, and better maintenance of records and data to ensure effective monitoring of waste management systems. MSID:: 129609834 413 |
