Environmental Management in India

Report Prepared by

Western Australia Trade Office India

Mumbai 93, Jolly Maker Chambers 2 Nariman Point Mumbai - 400 021 Phone: 91-22- 6630 3973 76 Fax: 91-22- 6630 3977 January 2012 1

Index
Sr. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Description Overview Environmental Management System- water air forest Air and Water Pollution Environmental Management in Mining Mining and Environmental Concerns Forestry Clearance - Mining Projects Involving Forest Area Regulatory Environment Issues and Challenges Key Players Environmental Management Waste Management in India Overview Waste Management Market Size and Opportunities Current Projects & Future Projects Key Players Waste Management Policy and Regulation Investment and Financing Issues and Challenges Conclusion Sources of Information Page No. 3 3 4 9 10 11 12 13 16 20 20 21 22 23 25 25 26 27 28

Overview
Environmental management involves the management of all components of the bio-physical environment, both living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic). This is due to the interconnected network of relationships amongst all living species and their habitats. The environment involves the relationships of the human environment, such as the social, cultural and economic environment with the bio-physical environment. are to

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Environmental Management System

Environmental Management System (EMS) refers to the management of an organisation's environmental programs in a comprehensive, systematic, planned and documented manner. It includes the organisational structure, planning and resources for developing, implementing and maintaining policy for environmental protection. An Environmental Management System (EMS): Serves as a tool to improve environmental performance. Provides a systematic way of managing an organisations environmental affairs. EMS is the aspect of the organisations overall management structure that addresses immediate and long-term impacts of its products, services and processes on the environment. Gives order and consistency for organisations to address environmental concerns through the allocation of resources, assignment of responsibility and ongoing evaluation of practices, procedures and processes. Focuses on continual improvement of the system.

Air and Water Pollution Overview

The environmental problems in India are growing rapidly. The increasing economic development and a rapidly growing population that has taken the country from 300 million people in 1947 to more than one billion people today is putting a strain on the environment, infrastructure, and the countrys natural resources. Industrial pollution, soil erosion, deforestation, rapid industrialisation, urbanisation, and land degradation are all worsening problems. Overexploitation of the country's resources - be it land or water and the industrialisation process - has resulted in environmental degradation of resources. Environmental pollution is one of the most serious problems facing humanity and other life forms on our planet today. According to a study on world carbon emissions by country, India's per capita carbon dioxide emissions were roughly 1,380 kilograms in January 2011, which was more than China (600 kilograms) but less than the U.S., with 1800 kilograms). India has been ranked as the seventh most environmentally hazardous country in the world by a new ranking released recently. The study is based on evaluation of absolute environment impact of 179 countries, whose data was available and was completed by researchers in Harvard, Princeton, Adelaide University and University of Singapore on January 12, 2011. Brazil was found to be worst on environmental indicators whereas Singapore was the best. United States was rated second worst and China was ranked third worst. India and the US on November 8, 2010, signed an agreement to establish a bilateral energy cooperation program to promote clean and energy-efficient businesses and Indian and U.S. companies signed joint venture deals worth $175 million in the renewable energy sector. The US President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced the establishment of a Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Centre. The proposed centre is part of the Partnership to Advance Clean Energy (PACE), which forms the core of the green partnership. Funding for the centre is expected from national budgets and the private sector and each government proposes to commit $25 million over the next five years. A comprehensive environmental assessment of industrial clusters, undertaken by IIT Delhi and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), found that the environmental pollution levels in 10 major industrial hubs had reached a very alarmingly high level. The World Bank Group has sanctioned two loans worth approx $265 million for environment management projects in India in July 2010. Of this, $200 million will go for the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project and the remaining for Capacity Building for Industrial Pollution Management project.

Air Pollution
The World Health Organisation estimates that approx two million people die prematurely every year as a result of air pollution, while many more suffer from breathing ailments, heart disease, lung infections and even cancer. Fine particles or microscopic dust from coal or wood fires and unfiltered diesel engines are rated as one of the most lethal forms or air pollution caused by industry, transport, household heating, cooking and ageing coal or oil-fired power stations. There are four reasons of air pollution - emissions from vehicles, thermal power plants, industries and refineries. The problem of indoor air pollution in rural areas and urban slums has increased. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is not without environmental drawbacks, says a new Central Pollution Control Board study on January 05, 2011. The study says burning CNG has the highest rates of potentially hazardous carbonyl emissions. The study also made a case for regulating CNG and other fuels for methane emissions. Methane, a greenhouse gas, is a key contributor to climate change. Among the study's finds were that retrofitted CNG car engines emit 30% more methane than original CNG engines. Almost all CNG car engines in India are retrofitted. Studies conducted in various parts of the world have revealed a strong link between type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases and continuous exposure to ultra fine particulate matter present in the air. Particulate matter in the air which is very fine and is less than 2.5 microns in size is called PM2.5 and has been known to cause diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Indias environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation. More than 80% of energy is produced from coal, a fuel that emits a high amount of carbon and greenhouse gases. Coal pollution kills more than 300,000 people every year. On April 12, 2011 the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has tightened pollution monitoring norms for power projects with a generation capacity of 500 Mw and above, integrated steel plants with a capacity of 1 million tons per annum and cement plants with a capacity of 3 million tons per annum. Further, the existing quantum of penalty prescribed under the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986, which is too meagre, would be made sufficiently high without any ceiling on the quantum of penalty amount for serious offences. This could be possible only through an amendment to this Act. Serious offences are likely to be made cognisable by the police and nonbailable. Government Role in Prevention of Air Pollution The Government of India is conscious of what needs to be done for the prevention of air pollution in India. The Air Act of 1981 was a first step towards the same. It created the framework for the prevention and control of air pollution. This led to a review of the deteriorating air quality, and investigations were launched to find the sources of air pollution in India. Measures, actions and standards were put into effect to help reduce pollution and work towards clean air for all of India. Currently, there are many measures in place to prevent air pollution. Business regulation is a main factor and one of the most stringent areas of control due to the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster. Businesses face stiff regulations to help keep the people of India safe. Buses in the public transportation system use compressed natural gas instead of fuel to keep them moving. This creates a major reduction in the air pollution in Indias major cities.

Central Pollution Control Board (India) Initiatives The Central Pollution Control Board is executing a nation-wide programme of ambient air quality monitoring known as National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP). The network consists of 342 operating stations covering 127 cities and towns in 26 states and 4 Union Territories of the country. The objectives of the NAMP are to determine the status and trends of ambient air quality; to ascertain whether the prescribed ambient air quality standards are violated; to identify nonattainment cities; to obtain the knowledge and understanding necessary for developing preventive and corrective measures and to understand the natural cleansing process undergoing in the environment through pollution dilution, dispersion, wind based movement, dry deposition, precipitation and chemical transformation of pollutants generated. Under NAMP, four air pollutants viz, sulphur dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen as NO2, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM / PM10) have been identified for regular monitoring at all the locations. The monitoring of meteorological parameters such as wind speed and wind direction, relative humidity (RH) and temperature were also integrated with the monitoring of air quality. The monitoring of pollutants is carried out for 24 hours (4-hourly sampling for gaseous pollutants and 8-hourly sampling for particulate matter) with a frequency of twice a week, to have 104 observations in a year. The monitoring is being carried out with the help of the Central Pollution Control Board; State Pollution Control Boards; Pollution Control Committees; and National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur. CPCB co-ordinates with these agencies to ensure the uniformity, consistency of air quality data and provides technical and financial support to them for operating the monitoring stations. NAMP is being operated through various monitoring agencies. A large number of personnel and equipments are involved in the sampling, chemical analyses, data reporting, etc. It increases the probability of variation and personnel biases reflecting in the data. Hence it is pertinent to mention that these data be treated as indicative rather than absolute.

Water Pollution
River Water Pollution Contaminated and polluted water now kills more people than all forms of violence including wars, according to a United Nations report released on March 22, 2010, on World Water Day, that calls for turning unsanitary wastewater into an environmentally safe economic resource. According to the report titled Sick Water, 90% of wastewater discharged daily in developing countries is untreated, contributing to the deaths of some 2.2 million people a year from diarrhoeal diseases caused by unsafe drinking water and poor hygiene. At least 1.8 million children younger than 5 years old die every year from water-related diseases. 80% of urban waste in India ends up in the country's rivers, and unchecked urban growth across the country combined with poor government oversight, means the problem is only getting worse. A growing number of bodies of water in India are unfit for human use, and in the River Ganga, holy to the country's 82% Hindu majority, is dying slowly due to unchecked pollution. New Delhi's body of water is little more than a flowing garbage dump, with 57% of the city's waste finding its way to the Yamuna. 3 billion litres of waste are pumped into Delhi's river Yamuna each day. Only 55% of the 15 million Delhi residents are connected to the city's sewage system. The remainder flush their bath water, waste water and just about everything else down pipes and into drains, and most of them empty into the Yamuna. According to the Centre for Science and Environment, between 75 and 80% of the river's pollution is the result of raw sewage. Combined with industrial runoff and garbage thrown into the river, it totals over 3 billion litres of waste per

day. Nearly 20 billion rupees, or almost US $500 million, has been spent on various cleanup efforts. The frothy brew is so glaring that it can be viewed on Google Earth. Much of the river pollution problem in India comes from untreated sewage. Samples taken recently from the Ganges River near Varanasi show that levels of faecal coliform, a dangerous bacterium that comes from untreated sewage, were some 3,000% higher than what is considered safe for bathing. Groundwater Exploitation Groundwater exploitation is a serious matter of concern today and legislations and policy measures taken till date, by the state governments (water is a state subject) have not had the desired effect on the situation. Groundwater Quality and Pollution is most alarming pollution hazards in India. According to the World Health Organisation, on World Water Day 2011, on March 22 each year, an estimated 4 billion people get sick with diarrhoea as a result of drinking unsafe water, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene. Nearly 2 million people die from diarrhoea each year, and many of them children under the age of five, poor, and living in the developing world. Central Pollution Control Board (India) Initiatives CPCB, in collaboration with concerned SPCBs/PCCs, established a nationwide network of water quality monitoring comprising 1,019 stations in 27 States and 6 Union Territories. The monitoring is done on a monthly or quarterly basis in surface waters and on half yearly basis in case of ground water. The monitoring network covers 200 rivers, 60 lakes, 5 tanks, 3 ponds, 3 creeks, 13 canals, 17 drains and 321 wells. Among the 1,019 stations, 592 are on rivers, 65 on lakes, 17 on drains, 13 on canals, 5 on tanks, 3 on creeks, 3 on ponds and 321 are groundwater stations. Presently, the inland water quality-monitoring network is operated under a three-tier programme i.e. Global Environment Monitoring System (GEMS), Monitoring of Indian National Aquatic Resources System (MINARS) and Yamuna Action Plan (YAP). Water samples are being analysed for 28 parameters consisting of 9 core parameters, 19 other physico-chemical and bacteriological parameters apart from the field observations. Besides this, 9 trace metals and 22 pesticides are also analysed in selected samples. Biomonitoring is also carried out on specific locations. In view of limited resources, limited numbers of organic pollution related parameters are monitored i.e. micro pollutants (Toxic Metals & POPs) are analysed once in a year to assess the water quality. The water quality data is reported in the Water Quality Status Year Book. The water quality data on rivers, lakes, ponds, tanks and groundwater locations being monitored under the network is evaluated against the water quality criteria and the monitored locations that exceed one or more parameters are identified as polluted, which requires action for restoration of water quality. The locations on rivers, lakes, ponds, tanks and groundwater not meeting the criteria are summarised ahead. The Biochemical Oxygen demand (BOD), one of the most important indicators of pollution, was observed in Amlakhadi at Ankleshwar (714 mg/L) followed by Ghaggar at Moonak, Punjab (626 mg/l), Khari at Lali village, Ahmedabad (320 mg/L); Musi at Hyderabad (225 mg/L); Sabarmati at Ahmedabad (207 mg/L); Kalinadi at Kannuaj, UP (136 mg/L); Khan at Kabitkhedi, Indore, MP (120 mg/L); Damanganga d/s Daman at Kachigaon (112 mg/L); Kalinadi at D/s of Muzzafarnagar, U.P (110 mg/l), Saroonagar, Ranga Reddy Dist. A.P (71 mg/l), Gandigudem at Medak Dist. (60 mg/l), Hindon at Saharanpur (60 mg/L); Yamuna at Sonepat (59 mg/l), Krishna D/s of Islampur (40mg/l), Satluj D/s Hussainwala Firozpur, Punjab (40 mg/L); Bhima at Pune (36 mg/L); Elangabeel System point, Assam (64 mg/l), Bharalu at Guwahati, Assam (43 mg/L); Sukhna at Parwanoo Dist., Solan (36 mg/l), Chandola Lake at Ahemdabad (36 mg/l),

Hussain Sagar Lake, Budamaru, A.P (33 mg/l), Dhadar at Kothada (32 mg/L), Bhaleshwar Khadi at N.H. No. 8 (27 mg/l), Gomti at Sitapur U/s (25 mg/l), Chambal at Dholpur (25 mg/l), Yamuna between Delhi and Etawah (10-59 mg/L) and Tapi at Uphad, Mahashtra (25 mg/L). Due to high BOD, dissolved oxygen in these stretches observed most of the time was either nil or very low. Total numbers of observations having BOD less than 3 mg/l, 3 to 6 mg/l and above 6 mg/l were 64%, 18% and 18%, respectively. The total number of observations having Total Coliform number less than 500 MPN/100 ml was 45%, between 500-5000 MPN/100 ml was 31% and exceeding 5000 MPN/100 ml was 24% MPN/100 ml. Similarly, the number of observations having Faecal Coliform bacterial count less than 500 MPN/100 ml was 53%, between 500-5000 MPN/100 ml was 26% and 21% observations were exceeding 5000 MPN/100 ml. Faecal Coliform, another important indicator of pollution in India, was found highest in Yamuna river in Agra, Nizamuddin, Mazawali and Okhla (MPN 5.2 x10 6 to 3.7x10 6 ) followed by Hindon after confluence with Krishni (1.1x10 6 to 4.6x10 5 ); Ganga at Dakshineshwar & Uluberia (1.1x10 6 to 2.8x10 5 ); Damodar at Haldia (1.4x10 6 ); Khari at Lali Village, Ahmedabad (7.5x10 5 ); Sabarmati at Ahmedabad (1.1x10 6 to 4.6x10 5 ); Bharalu at Gauhati, Assam (2.4x10 5 ); Ganga at Varanasi ((1.1x10 5 ); Satluj at Ludhiana (1.1x10 5 ); Tapi at Ukai (1.5x10 5 ); Kalinadi at Muzaffarnagar (3.1x10 5 ); Damanganga at Silvasa (1.2x10 6 ); and Brahamputra at Dhenukapahar & Pandu (2.4x10 5 )

Environmental Management in Mining

Mining and Environmental Concerns Environmental Concerns More than 0.8 million hectares of lands is under mining, a substantial portion of which lies in forest areas. Important coal, bauxite, iron ore and chromite deposits in India are found in forests. Good limestone deposits are also available near the wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and coastal areas. Mineral production is often not in consonance with conservation of forests since at many places commercial reserves exist below thick forests. In the site-specific mining activity, there are large numbers of environmental issues. The main concerns include the following: The existing terrestrial configuration gets disturbed. The magnitude of disturbance varies depending on surface topography, geology, geometry and depth of deposit from the surface, size of operation, excavation methodology, chemical properties of the ore and beneficiation. Generation of huge volumes of overburden. If not planned properly, topsoil also gets completely lost during removal of overburden. Uncontrolled runoff from the surface and waste dumps, rolling down of materials especially from steep slopes and loss of vegetation increase sediments deposition in surface water bodies. The exposed excavations and abandoned mines are capable of polluting the surface and ground waters and raise harmful air-borne dust. Minerals often in sulphide, sulphate, phosphate or halide forms often give rise to environmentally undesirable gangue materials at the mine and bio-toxic mineral wastes at beneficiation plant. Acid mine drainage. Drilling, blasting, removal, storage, re-handling of topsoil, overburden and ore and transportation of material contribute to particulates and gaseous emissions. Effect on wildlife population and their behaviour. Sometimes increased human activities coupled with mining operations in and around eco-sensitive regions do disrupt migratory routes of animals, fragment connectivity between important ecosystems, damage vegetation on a large scale and wildlife habitats. In case of an underground mine, caving of the roof material causes abrupt collapse of the overlying strata leading to subsidence of surface. Subsidence features can be small, shallow depressions or deep pits gradually sloping troughs or steep offsets, cracks or fissures or combination of these. Often acquisition of private land for mining activities and development of township involves displacement of people.

Associated Health Concerns

The main health hazards in metal and non-metal mines are those associated with the poor quality of mine air and presence of poisonous gases or other airborne contaminants. Fine dust particles in the respirable range are dangerous due to their ability to penetrate the lungs. Continuous exposure to excessive dust can lead to development of pneumoconiotic lung diseases. Also, dust with high concentration of toxic metals can lead to metal intoxication. Other occupational health hazards include excessive noise from equipment and machinery, blasting operations as well as exposure to extreme weather conditions. Mining of radioactive ores can result in exposure to radiation. Surface mining is less hazardous than the underground mining.

Environmental Clearances
Initially, the development projects from the public sector undertakings of the Central Government requiring approval of the Public Investment Board of the Ministry of Finance were normally considered for environmental clearances. For example, the multi-purpose river valley projects were cleared by the Planning Commission, Government of India, in consultation with NCEPC in regard to environmental aspects. Environmental impact assessment based environmental clearance procedure was adopted as an administrative measure in the late 70s for the river valley projects. The procedure was later extended to cover other sectors like industry, thermal power, nuclear power, and mining. India has over 24 years of experience in conducting environmental th impact assessment of development projects. On 27 January, 1994, the Ministry of Environment & Forests had issued the Environmental Impact Assessment [EIA] Notification under EPA, 1986 imposing certain restrictions on undertaking new development projects or expansion and modernisation of existing ones, unless prior environmental clearance has been obtained from the Ministry. Environmental clearance is mandatory for 30 development projects including mining. Environmental clearance is mandatory for new mining projects (major minerals) with mining lease area greater than 5 ha. or expansion / modernisation of existing operations irrespective of the quantum of increase in size of mining lease-area / production or investment involved, besides other 29 development projects. The EIA notification provides for two-stage clearance for the mining projects. Site clearance is also mandatory for proposals for prospecting and exploration of major minerals when the area is more than 500 ha. However, for carrying out test drilling on a scale not exceeding 10 bore holes per 100 sq km for prospecting and exploration purposes, no site clearance is required. The site clearance is given in the first stage and environmental clearance in the second stage. Besides the environmental clearance, forestry clearance under the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 is also mandatory for all the mining proposals involving diversion of forest land for non-forest purpose. The forestry clearance is again accorded in two-stages. In the first stage, the proposal is agreed in principle subject to certain conditions. The second stage approval is given after receipt of compliance report from the concerned State Government regarding transfer and mutation of the non-forest area identified for compensatory afforestation. The opening of mines, besides impacting the physical environmental in general, has social and economic consequences at local level including displacement of people from the project site in some cases affecting their environment, health and culture. Learning from the experience of other counties, a public hearing procedure was introduced in the decision-making process in India from th 10 April, 1997. Public hearing has been made mandatory for all the development projects attracting the provisions of the EIA Notification. This has helped in the consideration of concerns of the affected local communities. The large mines, which are generally in organised sector, address the communities concerns in much better manner than small mining companies own ers. However, exceptions are always present. A few small mining companies have also responded better with regard to environment and their relationship with the local people, setting a working model for others to follow. The project proponents seeking site / environmental clearance first apply to the concerned State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) for arranging a public hearing. As per procedure laid down in the EIA notification, the SPCB constitutes a public hearing panel for the project and publishes a notice indicating date, time and place for the public hearing in at least two local newspapers widely circulated in the region around the project, one of which is in the vernacular language. Public hearing is to be conducted not less than 30 days after the publication of the notice. During this period, all relevant documents are made available for public inspection at a designated place. The public can send suggestions, views and objections to the Board within 30 days from the date of the public notice. All the persons including bonafide residents, environmental groups and others located at the project site(s) / site(s) of displacement / sites likely to be affected can participate in the hearing. They can also give oral suggestions to the SPCB. The project proponent is invited to give a presentation at the public hearing on salient features of the project, 10

associated environmental issues, environmental protection measures, social welfare programme for the local community and provide clarifications / answer to queries. Commitments to comply with certain suggestions are made by the project authorities. Thereafter, the SPCB sends a detailed report of the public hearing panel to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). A time frame of 60 days for completion of public hearing has been set. The public hearing procedure is not applicable to site clearance and prospecting and exploration proposals.

Forestry Clearance - Mining Projects Involving Forest Area

The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 has made it obligatory for the State Governments or any other authority to obtain prior approval of the Central Government for diversion of any forest land for any non-forest purpose. Though mining is a site-specific operation whether by opencast or underground method, it is considered as a non-forestry activity. Prior approval of the MoEF is essential before a mining lease is granted in respect of any forest area. The Forest (Conservation) Act applies not only to the surface area, which is used in the mining but also to the entire underground mining area beneath the forest. A renewal of an existing mining lease in a forest area also requires prior approval of the Central Government. Continuation or resumption of mining operations on expiry of a mining lease without prior approval amounts to contravention of the Act. For projects requiring both the forestry and environmental clearances, two separate applications are to be submitted. Separate clearance letters are issued. A project is deemed to be cleared only after issuance of both the clearances. Like the Expert Committee (Mining) which considers proposals for environmental clearance, the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Ministry of Environment & Forests considers the forestry clearance proposals. Cases are referred to the Wildlife wing of the Ministry wherever a National Park or a Sanctuary is involved for their opinion about the project. Forestry clearance is given in two stages. In first stage, the proposal is agreed to in principle, subject to certain conditions and after receipt of a compliance report from the State Government in respect of compliance of the stipulated conditions regarding transfer and mutation of non-forest area identified for compensatory afforestation, if any, and transfer of funds in favour of the State Forest Department, final approval i.e. stage two clearance under the Act is issued. Exploration projects do not attract the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 as long as these surveys do not involve any clearing of forest or cutting of trees and operations are restricted to clearing of bushes and lopping of tree branches for the purpose sighting. In case operations involve clearing of forest area or felling of trees, prior permission of the Central Government is mandatory. Further, exploration should not be carried out in wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and sample plots demarcated by the Forest Department without obtaining prior approval of the Central Government, whether felling of trees is involved or not. Renewal of a mining lease is considered as a grant of fresh lease. Therefore, prior approval is required when a mining lease granted before the commencement of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, is renewed after its coming into force. In respect of the mining operations being carried out on forest lands leased before the commencement of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 during the continuance of the lease period, the approval under the provisions of the said Act is not required. Prior approval under the provisions of Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 is not required for mining and winning any new mineral from a forest land leased for mining before the commencement of the said Act during the leased period originally granted, if the said land is already broken up or cleared before the commencement of the Act. Otherwise, prior approval of the Central Government i.e. MoEF under the said Act is required.

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In respect of renewal of mining lease, temporary working permission is granted by the Central Government up to a maximum period of one year extendable by one more year subject to certain conditions to continue working in areas already broken up prior to the expiry of the lease, even without formal approval for the renewal, provided the user agency has submitted the required proposal with complete details to the State Forest Department at least one year prior to the expiry of existing lease period and the State Government has sent the formal proposal to the Central Government prior to the expiry of the existing lease, along with particulars and reports as are required to be furnished in the normal course of renewal. Where projects involve use of forest land as well as non-forest land, the project authorities sometimes start work on non-forest lands in anticipation of the approval of the Central Government for release of the forest land required for the projects. Though starting of work on non-forest lands may not have technically violated the provisions of the Act, expenditure incurred on works on non-forest lands may prove to be infructuous if diversion of forest land involved is not approved. It is, therefore, advisable that if a project involves forest as well as non-forest land, work should not be started on non-forest land till the approval of the Central Government for release of forest land under the Act has been obtained.

Regulatory Environment
Specific measures already taken by MoEF to cut down delays in the environmental clearance process: Separate questionnaires for prospecting and exploration projects, site clearance and environmental clearance have been brought out. Format for furnishing information for environmental clearance has been recently revised (Annexure I) to replace the earlier one of 1997. Manual for EIA appraisal was brought out in January, 2001, which is a useful reference for appraising agencies, regulatory authorities, entrepreneurs and consultants. The manual is displayed in the website of the Ministry of Environment & Forests. Scrutiny of proposals has been made time bound. Preliminary scrutiny of the project is made within three-four weeks of receipt of the proposal and comments conveyed to the project proponent. Continuous interaction is maintained with the project authorities in identifying the shortfalls in the EIA / EMP reports. Project-wise information is displayed on MoEFs website so that the project proponent is aware of the reasons for pendency and can submit additional information wherever necessary in an expeditious manner. The website is updated every week. A decision is taken on an individual project in maximum two sittings of the Expert Committee (Mining). In specific cases, where more detailed studies are required, the project is subjected to further consideration. Under the provisions of EIA Notification, the Ministry has to complete the assessment of the proposal within a period of 90 days after receipt of complete information and requisite documents and decision conveyed within 30 days thereafter. The Ministry has taken several steps and initiatives to simplify and rationalise the procedures of assessment so that proper decisions on the clearance / rejection of the proposal can be arrived at within the stipulated time frame. In case the decision is not communicated within this time frame, the proposal is considered to have deemed clearance. However, this provision of deemed clearance has not been invoked so far in any case.

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The Environmental Impact Assessment Notification of 1994 has been amended to dispense with the requirement of public hearing in respect of the mining projects (major minerals) with lease area up to 25 ha. A time frame of 60 days for completion of public hearing has been stipulated. Keeping in view that a large number of marble and granite mines operating in the country in unscientific and non eco-friendly manner, the Ministry of Coal and Mines, the Department of Mines has made approval of the mining plan mandatory before mining of these two minor minerals. To facilitate exclusion of any mining activity in the out of bound areas like National Park, Sanctuary, thick forests overlays of the mineralised areas in these eco sensitive zones are being prepared for benefit of all stakeholders.

Issues and Challenges

Scoping EIA: It is seen that currently, screening and scoping are not a part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies for the mining projects. Consequently, some of the environmental issues, which need to be discussed in detail, are not properly covered in the EIA / EMP (Environmental Management Plan) reports. Experience has shown that project scoping is an essential preliminary step. The purpose of the scoping process is to define the key issues and resources to be analysed in the EIA for determining potential impacts. EIA/EMP Process: The Ministry, under the World Bank assisted Environmental Management Capacity Building mining project has also obtained recommendations of the international consultant on changes required to be made in the EIA mechanism in India, keeping in view the practices being followed in other countries. i. Guidelines and timetable for a formal process to determine the scope of EIA / EMP for each project need to be evolved. ii. Guidelines for collection and documentation of environmental baseline data for the key resources like surface water, ground water, flora & fauna, land use, meteorology and air quality including socio-economic shall also be developed along with standardised format for preparation and submission of EIA / EMPs. iii. Today, proper coverage is not given to occupational and community health aspects in the EIA / EMP reports. Guidelines for inclusion of full operation, mitigation, reclamation, mine closure and monitoring in the EIA / EMP also need to be developed. Emphasis on Mine Closure: The mining method used to extract minerals from the earth determines many aspects of post-mining topography. Disturbances depend on the geological structure associated with the mineral, depth of the deposit from the surface, surface character and method of mining. The natural land surface is drastically changed through removal and placement of materials and dumping of overburden, waste rock or tailings. Adequate amount of material is not normally available to fill the final pit created due to mining. Therefore, proper reclamation of the mined out areas is a must. Proper guidelines need to be developed for this purpose. A Committee has already been set up to go into various issues relating to mine closure aspects of mining. Size of mining lease: In India, the State Governments grant mining leases as a small as 0.5 ha. for mining of certain minerals. In such a situation, scientific working and compliance with environmental protection measures and standards is not feasible. 13

Unscientific mining practices have altered landscapes, natural drainage pattern, soil productivity, water regime, and air & water quality. Really, the small size mines can never function in an environmentally friendly manner nor can comply with the regulations regarding mine safety and conservation. When such small sized mines operate in clusters, damage to the environment is quite serious. A twofold approach is being adopted to tackle the problem. First is to rationalise the size of new leaseholds (except in case of gemstones). For the existing mines, amalgamation of small leaseholds wherever feasible or permission to go in for a collective EIA / EMP for a cluster of mines is the second alternative. In extreme cases, where scientific and systematic working is not possible, cancellation of the leases may be the only option. For realistic assessment of environmental implications of such clusters, there is a need to adopt a regional planning strategy. While carrying out environmental appraisal, emphasis is given to predict cumulative impacts of the proposed and existing activities. A decision has been taken to discourage such small-scale mining operations from the environmental management point of view. Recently, a Committee has been constituted to look into the issues and make recommendations about the minimum size of mining lease that should be followed in the interest of systematic and scientific mining. Environmental Standards: The existing environmental standards applicable to the mining industry are a composite of general environmental standards except for coal. These standards are inadequate in certain respects for effective environmental protection and management of minerals sector when compared to international norms. Very recently, the Ministry of Coal & Mines, the Department of Mines based on the recommendations made by the Indian Bureau of Mines has come out with a set of mineral-wise air quality and effluent standards for nine minerals in a suggestive form for a period of one year. These standards are for chromite, copper, iron and manganese ore, lead and zinc, bauxite, limestone and dolomite mines. Demonstration of best management practices: Two demo sites having different topographic features and environmental management issues have been selected in Goa and Himachal Pradesh to demonstrate best management practices involving international consultants. The purpose is to demonstrate actual implementation of specific mitigation measures in a time bound and cost effective manner for replication at other mine sites. This would offer advantages like: i. Develop feasible mitigation measures and techniques for mining projects ii. Train mine operators in principles of mining, designing, implementing and monitoring the mitigation measures iii. The projects will generate information that could be used for policy making and standards setting processes iv. Development of technical and management guidelines for different minerals mining projects R&D Efforts: The Ministry of Environment & Forests has funded 14 research projects in the following identified priority areas to develop indigenous know-how: Management of solid wastes Optimisation of tailing pond /settling pond designs Application of EPA models to predict pollution levels Utilisation of industrial wastes, fly ash etc Stabilisation and control of OB dumps Study of air borne respirable dust concentrations at work places Digital modelling of contamination of ground water 14

Development of fugitive dust dispersion model for mining areas Determination of emission rates of dust and validation of air quality models Methodology for cumulative impact assessment in non-coal mining projects

Data Bank and Networking: There are many organisations in the country, which could effectively serve as a resource in select areas of mining environment issues. However, because of inefficient networking capabilities, coordination among them often does not take place. An effective database management system and networking among the concerned institutions and the selected Central and State Government Departments and Pollution Control Boards is being established for facilitating dissemination and sharing of information on various aspects of mining and environmental data. The Ministry of Environment & Forests has also initiated a project to establish and operate a pilot Environmental Information Centre (EIC) in three States (Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra) to act as a repository of validated environmental data which can be accessed and used by the stakeholders in the environmental clearance process, to evolve a suitable mechanism for net working with data providers / generators and to identify constraints and develop a blue print for up scaling the scope of the Centre at the national level. The mining data base Centre would be finally hooked to EIC. Institutional Strengthening: Institutional capacity of Government Departments who are responsible for policy making, legislating, standard setting and enforcing compliance is being enhanced to ensure effective monitoring of EMPs and observation of the prescribed environmental standards by mine operators. It has also been planned to develop expertise in planning, designing and implementing environmentally benign projects in the institutions working in the field of mining and mining environment. They will also become a resource group for the Government Departments in discharging their responsibilities and for the miners in implementation of environmentally benign designs and carry out the specific research / studies to equip the Indian mining industry with latest developments. Training Resource Group Development: Environmental management training courses based on the best practices from around the world have been taken up to upgrade the knowledge and know-how of selected personnel from mining industry, resource institutions, Pollution Control Boards, MoEF and other Central and State Departments in planning, designing and implementation of environmentally benign projects; and development and monitoring compliance of regulations, standards and EMPs. Baseline Data Generation: It is also conceived that baseline information on micrometeorological and environmental (air RPM, SPM, SO2, NOx & CO; water quality ground as well as surface, soil physicochemical characteristics; flora and fauna) data should be generated by all agencies during mineral exploration activities.

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Key Players
Young Advisory Engineering and Services Pvt. Ltd. Utsav Bhawan Kamardanga Road, Ichapur Howrah West Bengal India 711 104 Tel: 033 3258 5881 Fax: 033 2677 1411 www.yearconsultancy.com Zenith Quality Assessors Private Limited 110, 1st Floor Gulmohar Centre Point, S.No. 34/ A Opposite Viman Nagar Pune Maharashtra India 411 014 www.zenith-worldwide.com Mr. G. Thirugnanam Managing Director Enviro Solutions & Services 10/2, Fifth Cross Extension Bharathi Nagar Coimbatore Tamil Nadu India 641 006 Tel: +91 9843030427 www.envirosolutions.in Vitro Labs 2-2-647/ A /3, 3rd Floor Shivam Road Ambarpet Nallakunta Hyderabad Andhra Pradesh India 500 01 Tel: 044 2742 1381 www.vitrolabs.net 3-S Envo Soloutions 501\2 Royal Apartments Sector3, Charkop Kandivali west Mumbai Maharashtra India 400 067 Tel: +91 22 67731754 Fax: +91 22 28693156 www.thomex.com/3s-envo-solutions

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Grass Roots Research & Creation India (P) Ltd. F-375, Sector-63 Noida Uttar Pradesh India 201 301 www.grc-india.com Horizon Environmental Services Pvt. Ltd. 39, Shyamsunder Society Near Mhatre Bridge Pune Maharashtra, India 411 001 Tel: +91 20 24539136 www.horizonenvironment.com/

Shriram Envirotech Office No. 4-5 Iind Floor, Sk Bajaj Building, Shastri Market Jalandhar, Punjab India 144001 Tel: +91 181 6541504, 6534504 Fax: 181 222 5504 www.shriramenviro.com Nayagara Water Solutions Private Limited 36/1, 1st Floor, Model School Road, Thousand Lights, Chennai Tamil Nadu India 600 006 Tel: 044 28295103 www.indiamart.com/nayagara Enviro Analysts & Engineers Private Limited 1-A, Enviro House, Hansa Complex Carter Road No. 2 Datta Pada, Borivali East Mumbai Maharashtra India 400 066 Tel: +91 22 28541647/ 28541648/ 28541649 www.enviroanalysts.com Consafe Science India Private Limited B- 2/ 17, Sarvatra Society Paud Road, Kothrud Pune, Maharashtra India 411 038 Tel: + 91 20 254399 www.consafescience.com 17

Enviro Care India Private Limited No. 22, 1st Cross Street West CIT Nagar Near Nanthi Statue Chennai, Tamil Nadu India 600 035 Tel: +91 44 4286 7084, 4524 355103 www.envirocareindia.com Quality Consultants 32, Everest Vihar, Kings Road Nirman Nagar, Ajmer Road Jaipur Rajasthan India 302 019 Tel: + 91-141-2399556 Fax: + 91-141-2399556 www.qualityconsultant.co.in E. Q. M. S. India Private Limited No. 305- 306, 3rd Floor, Plot No. 16 Rishabh Corporate Towers Community Centre Karkardooma Delhi 110 092 India Tel: +91 11 30003200/218 Fax: +91 11 22374662 www.eqmsindia.com Effikazy Consulting Private Limited Plot No. 2001, No. 16 A, Vasundhara Ghaziabad 201 012 Uttar Pradesh India Tel: +91-120-2882375 www.effikazy.netfirms.com LVK Enviro Consultants 4, (Old 39) Fourth Main Road Kasturiba Nagar Adyar Chennai 600 020 Tamil Nadu India Tel: + 91 44 24425021 www.lvkenviroconsultants.com Suncon Engineers Private Limited P-1/9, Sai Palace In front Of Ved-Bhavan Bhusari Colony (Right) Paud Road Kothrud Pune 411 038 Maharashtra 18

India Tel: +91 20 25285482 www.sunconengineers.com Terracon Ecotech Private Limited 6th Floor, 'Swagat', Shraddhanand Road, Vile Parle (East), Mumbai - 400057, INDIA Tel: 91-22-2618 3939 / 40 / 41 Web: www.terraconindia.com Ion Exchange India Ltd. Ion House, Dr. E. Moses Road, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai-400 011, India Tel: (91) 22 3989 0909 / 3047 2042 Fax: (91) 22 2493 8737 Email: hocro@ionexchange.co.in / ieil@ionexchange.co.in Website: http://www.ionindia.com/ Bhavi Plast (P) Ltd. Unit no. 24, 9 Acres Kothari Industrial Estate Manpada Thane West 400607 India Tel: +9122 25890447 Fax: +9122 25890432 Email: response@bhaviplast.com Website: http://www.bhaviplast.com/index.html Praj Industries Ltd. Praj House, Bavdhan, Pune 411 021. India Tel: +91-20-22951511 / 22952214 Fax: +91-20-22951718 / 22951515 Email: info@praj.net Website: http://www.praj.net/default.asp Thermax Ltd. Thermax House, 14 Mumbai-Pune Road Wakdewadi, Pune 411 003 Tel: 91-20-66051200/25542122 Fax: 91-20-25542242 Website: http://www.thermaxindia.com/

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Waste Management in India

Overview Management of waste has emerged as one of the biggest impediments to sustainable development. Being one of the fastest growing economies in the world, the challenge is more intensified for India. On the other hand, recognition of the inherent value of waste has created an opportunity for converting waste to wealth, leading to the development of a formal waste management industry in the country. The conversion of an overburdening environmental challenge into a fast growing opportunity, however, requires urgent policy attention. Any kind of unwanted or unusable material is generally referred to as waste. All our daily activities generate waste. Different kinds of solid and liquid waste are generated in both urban and rural areas at every stage of the supply chain (involving production and consumption). Untreated waste of all kinds can be a potential source of land, water, or air pollution, leading to various environmental and health issues. Waste Management Techniques There are various sources of waste including households, municipal bodies and other service providers, commercial establishments, institutions, government departments, industries, healthcare units, construction units, agriculture etc. There are three kinds of techniques for managing this waste that are practiced in India: Treatment Method Landfill Technology Description Involves disposal of waste through anaerobic methods Different kinds of landfills include open landfills, and biometric landfills. Regional landfills are being propagated to minimise land costs and optimise utilisation. Solid waste can be biologically treated to derive usable compost or recycled into pellets to serve as fuels for other industries. Construction debris can be converted into saleable products like tiles and bricks or as road paving material. Other recycling technologies include drum-based or pit-based recycling at the domestic levels; solar melters for biometric waste; recycling of construction waste by using it for other constructions either directly or by recycling scrapings and small pieces into sheets etc. Involves burning of waste materials at high temperatures for producing inert wastes for landfills. It is a polluting process with possibilities of high emissions and production of harmful residues. Another viable option is cement kiln incineration which neutralises the alkaline components and does not leave any ash or residue. Recently, incineration technologies are being combined with energy recovery methods to produce power. These are collectively referred to as waste-to-energy (WTE) strategies and include thermo-chemical processes (pyrolysis, gasification and oxidation) or bio-chemical methods (anaerobic, hydrolysis and fermentation using enzymes).

Recycling

Incineration

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For treating municipal liquid wastes, different technologies can be used such as on-site recycling through percolating filter beds, bio-filters which are coir based or fluoro censors, and sumps. Municipal wastewater can be recycled to produce potable water for reuse in gardening, bathing, washing etc. For industrial wastewater, some technologies in use include reed bed wastewater plants, membrane bioreactors, wastewater polishing, ultra-filtration and gravity based methods. Waste Management Market Size and Opportunities The waste management market in India is highly fragmented and unorganised. Further, there has been a rapid increase in the amount of waste generated, making it difficult to regulate the market and transform it into an organised sector. Growing urban population, rising disposable incomes and increasing amenities and consumer choices have led to an increase in municipal solid waste (MSW) generation. Significant industrial growth has multiplied the quantum of industrial waste generation in recent years. Bio-medical and electronic waste segments have considerably added to the countrys waste basket, with India emerging as a prime destination for medical services and a thriving information technology services market. The sector is witnessing increasing awareness, focused approach of the concerned authorities towards handling the growing problem of waste management and the important role that the private sector can play in handling the efficient disposal and recycling of waste. Nevertheless the sector is mired with challenges of limited resources, weak enforcement of rules and regulations, low awareness, inadequate monitoring and lack of funds. The global waste management market is estimated to be between $300-400 billion (USD) with equal contributions from MSW and industrial hazardous waste and a smaller share of bio-medical wastes, e-waste and liquid waste. The waste management market in India is pegged to be $6-7 billion (USD). Thus currently India accounts for 2-3% of the global waste management market. Of the market size in India, the organised sector is estimated to account for only 6.25%. As per the estimates of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), MSW generation is expected to grow at a rate of 5% per annum, putting severe pressure on land resources which are limited and it is an expensive proposition for waste disposal. Currently landfill resources account for about 90% of waste disposal. The growth of MSW is outpacing the rate of urban population (2-2.5%). This is further expected to compound the problem of MSW management. Till date, only a few Indian cities have developed sanitary landfills. There are about 22-25 treatment, storage and disposal facilities (TSDF) and about 120 individual and 13 common incinerators in the country. The proposed capacity expansions estimate doubling of these facilities by 2015. E-waste is the fastest growing segment of solid waste. Industry estimates suggest that the ewaste generated in India, including imports, is growing at a pace of 20% per annum. The biomedical waste market is estimated to grow at a similar rate with greater access to medical facilities in Tier II cities. Currently, there are no large scale facilities for disposal of such wastes and ample opportunities remain to be explored in these segments. As per United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF)s estimates, rural India generates 5.5-6.5 million litres of liquid waste (greywater) and 110-115 mt of solid waste (organic/recyclable) per annum. Large quantities of the solid wastes are recycled in the form of animal feed, manure or household fuel while the remaining is burnt in open fields. The wastewater is allowed to run off to the nearest water source. Thus, there exists an opportunity for treatment and recycling of these wastes for drinking water supply and manufacture of saleable compost.

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Current Projects Over the past two years, the waste management sector has witnessed a considerable decline in the share of projects sanctioned under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). In 2009-10, a total of 66 projects were sanctioned as compared to 137 projects in 2008-09, a decline of 51.83% Meanwhile eight major projects have been completed in the past one to one n a half years, all of them in the solid waste management and sanitation sector. They are: Name of the Project Sewerage Treatment Plant Sewerage Treatment Plant Waste to Bio-Fuel Plant Wastewater Recycling and Water Treatment Plant Solid Waste Management Plant Brahmapuram Refuse Derived Fuel Plant Integrated Solid Waste Management of Koyambedu Wholesale Market Complex including O&M of biomethanation. Bharwara Sewage Treatment Plant City (Year of Completion) Hyderabad (2009) Vishakhapatnam (2010) Delhi (2010) Wazirabad (2010) Kundapur (2010) Kochi (2010) Koyambedu, Chennai (2010) State Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh Delhi Delhi Karnataka Kerala Tamil Nadu Implementing Agency Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewage Board. Greater Vishakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Environment Department Delhi Jal Board Kundapur Town Municipal Council Kochi Corporation Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority

Lucknow (2010)

Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam

Future Projects Projects worth $288.9 million (USD) are currently in the pipeline, of which the majority is under the sewerage sector Name of the Project Sewerage Treatment Plant Bio-gas Plants under the second phase of Cauvery Water Supply Scheme (Stage IV) Sewerage Treatment Plants in Bangalore City Solid Waste Management Plant E-Waste Treatment Facility Sewerage Treatment Plant Sewerage Treatment Plant City Guntur Bangalore State Andhra Pradesh Karnataka Cost (USD in millions) 88.9 -

Bangalore Thiruvananthapuram Mumbai Khargar, Navi Mumbai Bundi

Karnataka Kerala Maharashtra Maharashtra Rajasthan

177.8 3.9 8.2 13.4 5.1

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Key Players in Waste Management Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited TSR Towers, Rajbhawan Road Hyderabad 500 082 Andhra Pradesh Tel: 040 44422222 Email: info@ramky.com Operations: MSW management, Industrial Hazardous Waste Management (IHWM), E-waste management, biomedical waste management. SPML Infra Limited Plot no. 65, Sector 32 Gurgaon 122 001 Haryana Tel: 0124 42044601 Fax: 0124 4269139 Website: www.spml.co.in Email: info@smml.co.in Operations: MSW management, Liquid waste management. IL&FS Waste Management & Urban Services Limited D-64, Defence Colony New Delhi 110 024 Tel: 011 24654563 / 66 Fax: 011 24654562 Website: www.iwmusl.com Email: info@iwmusl.com Operations: MSW management. Selco International Limited 1-1-336/49, Viveknagar Chikkadpally Hyderabad 500 020 Andhra Pradesh Tel: 040 27630677 Website: www.selco.co.in Email: selcoproject@gmail.com Operations: MSW management. Sulabh International Social Service Organisation Sulabh Gram Mahavir Enclave Palam Dabri Road New Delhi 110 045 Tel: 011 25031518 / 9 Fax: 011 25034014 / 45521733 Website: www.sulabinternational.com Email: sulabhinfo@gmail.com Operations: Sanitation.

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Degremont Limited Unitech Business Park Tower A, South City 1 Gurgaon 122 001 Haryana Tel: 0124 4680100 Fax: 0124 4080103 Website: www.degremontindia.net Email: pramod.bapna@degremont.com Operations: Liquid Waste Management. Jamshedpur Utilities & Services Company Limited (JUSCO) Sakchi Boulevard Road Jamshedpur 831 001 Jharkhand Tel: 0657 2146000 / 6646000 Fax: 0657 2424219 Website: www.juscoltd.com Email: contact@juscoltd.com Operations: Liquid Waste Management, MSW management. Attero Recycling B-92, Sector 63 Noida 201 301 Uttar Pradesh Tel: 0120 4087100 Fax: 0120 4087101 Website: www.attero.in Email: sourcing@attero.in Operations: E-waste management. K.K. Plastic Waste Management Private Limited No. 50, Y.V. Annaiah Road Yelachenahalli Bangalore 560 078 Karnataka Tel: 080 40947005 Fax: 080 40575594 Website: www.kkplasticroads.com Email: kakbest@hotmail.com Operations: Plastic waste management. Greenscape Eco Management Private Limited 512, Elegance Tower, Commercial Centre Jasola New Delhi 110 025 Tel: 011 40515662 / 41555091 / 0 9810592923 Fax: 011 40515661 Website: www.greenscape-eco.com Email: info@greenscape-eco.com Operations: E-waste management. 24

Policy and Regulation

According to the Constitution of India, waste management, which is a part of public health and sanitation, is a state subject. Hence the State Governments plan, design, implement, operate and th maintain SWM schemes. The 74 Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 which is considered as the most important act for the urban infrastructure sector has entrusted this activity to urban local bodies (ULBs). Under this act, ULBs are responsible for delivering SWM services, with their own staff, equipment, and funds. The management of MSW is one of the most important obligatory functions of the ULBs, which is closely associated with urban environmental conditions. The outcome however has been less than satisfactory as only a few states have managed to completely implement structures mentioned under the act. Investment and Financing This rapid increase in volumes and types of waste is leading to a growing demand for waste and wastewater treatment which further increases capital requirements for the sector. According to World Bank estimates, 20-50% of the total sector budget is spent on SWM by the municipalities of a developing country. This is despite the fact that between 3060% of all the urban solid waste remains uncollected and hence untreated. A study by the World Bank also estimates the total cost per ton of SWM in India as Rs. 1,000-1,200, excluding the cost of land. Thus, a city of 1 million generating around 500 tpd, would incur a cost of Rs. 500,000 to 6,000,000 per day to manage its waste. The quantity of waste is expected to grow and so is the cost of managing it. Although considerable efforts are made by the government to fund these projects, there are still major gaps in the area of investments and technical know-how. Current Financing Sources Annual budget: The state and local governments allocate some part their development budget to finance waste management projects in their areas. Local taxes: SWM constitutes 25-50% of the municipal budget in most ULBs in India. Also, since a large number workers are involved in sanitation, street sweeping and related activities, SWM accounts for a very high percentage (75-85%) of salaries. From the revenue side, a percentage of the property tax is used for solid waste service. In some ULBs, this portion is clearly identifiable as a conservancy tax. User charges: In some cities in India, neighbourhood associations provide the primary collection services and collect a fee in return from every household. In other cities, where solid waste collection is franchised to private operators, households pay the fee directly to the operator but the quantum of the fee is set by the local government. There is no unified system of fee collection in India since the amount of waste generated per household differs from city to city. The charges for the commercial and industrial sector should be higher and in accordance to the polluter pays principle. The high charges are expected to motivate these units to reduce the waste generated by them. Grants: The ULBs can take grants under different programmes of the government for management of waste - the JNNURM, 12th Finance Commission, State Finance Commission and the UIDSSMT.

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Environmental bonds: Local governments in some countries float environmental bonds to arrange funds for creating environmental infrastructure and providing services related to SWM. Multilateral aids: International institutions such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have been supporting projects related to waste management in India. Loans: In recent years, ULBs have approached the capital market for raising money directly or indirectly. A case in point is the Tamil Nadu Urban Development Fund which makes loans to ULBs and in turn borrows from the capital market. Private equity: Apart from these options, the waste management sector is fast catching the eye of private equity players.. As India transitions into a more western livelihood with increased consumption of packaged material, waste volumes can only increase. According to industry experts multiple revenue streams and government subsidies make the waste business attractive with expected return on equity in excess of 25%. Support from JNNURM, availability of by-products and WTE products, and longer contract agreements make the sector quite attractive. Issues and Challenges Lack of information: The level of awareness for paying proper costs for the waste generated is not enough with the generators of waste, both at the domestic and the industrial level. This results in open dumping or unsafe disposal of waste. Further, this has also made it difficult to find detailed data for the waste generated and hence to formulate a proper strategy for waste management. Since many small-scale waste disposal and recycle projects are currently undertaken by the informal sector, finding actual information regarding the costs and revenues of any waste disposal project is neither easy nor perfect. The degree of community sensitivity and public awareness in India towards proper waste management practices is low. There has been no major effort in the past to create community awareness, either about the likely perils due to poor waste management or the simple steps that every consumer can take, which will help reduce waste generation and promote effective management of the waste generated. Implementation issues: The lack of regulatory control for the management of waste in the past has led to the stockpiling and unscientific disposal of waste in the country over the years. Although the concept of waste management is now receiving increased attention, the waste which has already accumulated remains a challenge. A lack of enforcement allows unscrupulous waste handlers to fake compliance while dealing incorrectly with the waste in practice. Further, there is no established framework for the collection and recycling of wastes such as e-waste and plastics. The amount of these wastes is increasing unchecked because of the rapid economic growth, urbanisation and upgraded income level of workers. Overall, India has among the most exhaustive acts/rules formulated for environment protection and waste management in the world. However, adherence to these rules has always been a major problem. Multiple institutional structures with over lapping jurisdiction, absence of a regulatory authority, and lack of municipal capabilities are some of the primary issues resulting in poor compliance of rules/acts. Manpower & technical issues: There is a visible lack of trained and aware manpower in the waste management sector in the country. Collection is mainly done by rag-pickers and segregation and transportation is carried out by scrap dealers in the unorganised

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sector who are not properly trained for handling different types of wastes. Even at the regulatory levels there is an absence of complete training and information about waste handling as well as a shortage of manpower. Officials from related government agencies like customs and pollution control boards acknowledge their inability to check every point of waste generation because of shortage of men and machinery. They resort to random checks or tips from the respective departments intelligence teams. Besides, the problem is aggravated because of delays in determining the nature of waste generated due to lack of state-of-the-art equipment and technology. There are also concerns regarding unsafe recycling activities by the informal sector. Recycling activities are very labour intensive such as manual segregation or dismantling and extracting of valuable metals like gold and silver by simply heating e-waste with no focus on pollution control. Inadequate treatment and disposal capacity: Another challenge is a mismatch in treatment capacity and generation. Few states in the country have treatment, disposal and storage facilities (TSDFs) or incineration facilities. In the states with these facilities, there is a mismatch in generation and treatment capacity. For instance, while Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have surplus capacities to handle the present quantities of waste generated in their states, TSDFs in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal do not have adequate capacity for the same. Further, the growth of such capacities has been slow.

Conclusion
India is one of the most promising environmental markets in Asia. A comprehensive plan for waste management across waste types and generators can ensure optimal use of this opportunity. As environmental awareness grows and the land deficit and prices continue to rise, there will be greater regulatory, social and economic pressure on industries to step up investments in technologies and practices that ensure optimal waste management. Industrial and municipal waste will continue to remain a much sought after service sector given the current economic and population growth rates. Meanwhile, a shift in focus from waste management to waste reduction is expected. To ensure efficient implementation of strategies for the future, an urgent step in the present will be to correct the lack of information on current waste generation and projections for future generation in the country. The quantity of waste generated should be regularly weighed. This must be complemented by characterisation studies. The baseline data must be collected in a scientific manner using predetermined parameters like population size, sector wise generation, activities of industrial, commercial and health units, seasonal variations, etc. With energy recovery from waste emerging as a suitable option for waste that cannot be recycled, more countries are widening the horizon of their waste management hierarchies. This involves more comprehensive waste management integrating strategies of reduction, reuse, recycling and recovery of energy as well as involvement of all stakeholders (consumers, producers, informal sector, NGOs, governments, judiciaries etc.) under the waste management hierarchy. Finally, national level policies must be complemented with relevant state level policies and local level regulations and by-laws. The laws should be simple; not open to interpretations and easy to implement, thereby ensuring compliance.

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Sources of Information
Waste Management in India by India Infrastructure Research http://india.gov.in/sectors/environment/index.php www.mbendi.com www.ibef.org http://www.mbendi.com/indy/wste/as/in/index.htm http://www.indianindustry.com/energy-conservation-services/12671.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_management http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability_and_environmental_management http://www.scribd.com/doc/19143609/Mining-and-Environment-India http://www.gits4u.com/envo/envo4.htm http://www.gits4u.com/envo/envo4.htm Disclaimer: The information covered in this report is gathered from various sources. We do not hold responsibility for the correctness of the information. It is advised to thoroughly verify all of the facts and due diligence before entering into any contract.

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