MoHUA Report on ‘Circular Economy in Municipal Solid and Liquid Waste’

May 19, 2022

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has released a report on ‘Circular Economy in Municipal Solid and Liquid Waste.’ This report has been released at a time when cities across India are struggling to get rid of municipal waste. The cities of the nation are also not able to come up with new landfill sites.

What does this report highlight?

This report has highlighted how large shares of municipal wastes can be recycled instead of dumping them at landfills. The report has also recommended a complete ban on the disposal of such recyclables at dumping sites in the cities. The state pollution control boards as well as the industry and urban development departments must introduce a tax for dumping municipal waste in the various landfills across the country.

What does the report say about the effects of disposing of recyclable wastes in landfills?

The report has highlighted that disposing of any recyclable wastes in landfill sites causes the loss of valuable resources as well as environmental pollution.

What has the report suggested regarding the GST on recycled materials?

This report has suggested that the government must reduce the GST as well as other taxes on all those products that are produced by using recycled materials to 5 per cent so as to encourage the recycling of waste.

Who has prepared this report?

This report has been prepared by experts who are from:

Reputed research institutes
IITs
Government entities

Why is this report important?

This report is important as it talks about unprocessed and untreated municipal wastes reaching the dump yards or water bodies and thus posing a major crisis. This report tries to come up with solutions regarding how to tackle such challenges.

What has this report estimated regarding the treatment of municipal wastes?

This report has estimated that proper municipal wet, solid, and construction waste treatment can generate around Rs 30,000 crore revenue annually and can also create employment opportunities for over one crore people across the nation by 2025.

How much solid waste is generated daily in India?

At present, in the country, around 1.4 lakh tonnes of solid waste out of which 35 per cent is dry waste is being generated daily. Plastics are the major chunk of all generated dry wastes. The report highlighted that around 26,000 tonnes of plastic waste are generated across the country. Out of the total plastic waste generated only 15,600 tonnes are being recycled. About 9,400 tonnes are left uncollected and these are dumped at water bodies or landfills.

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