Uttarakhand generates 1,406 tonne solid waste daily, but processing is zero

Uttarakhand is the worst-performing state in the country in terms of processing solid waste. Everyday it generates 1,406 tonne solid waste and processes 0% of it

Uttarakhand is the worst-performing state in the country in terms of processing solid waste. Everyday it generates 1,406 tonne solid waste and processes 0% of it.

Only 3% wards in Uttarakhand have facility of 100% waste segregation at source. (Above) A dumping ground along the Haridwar Bypass in Dehradun.(Vinay S Kumar/HT Photo)

Besides Arunachal Pradesh, it is the only state in the country to have this abysmal performance. Neighbouring Himachal Pradesh generates just 342 tonne solid waste everyday and is able to process 20% of it.

This has been revealed in a written reply submitted in the Rajya Sabha on March 8 by the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs. The reply is based on data available till January 31, 2018.

It further revealed that there are 912 wards in the state, of which only 3% (29 wards) have the facility of 100% segregation of waste at source. Furthermore, there are 21% wards (715) that still do not have 100% door-to-door collection of solid waste.

This comes at a time when the Trivendra Singh Rawat-led BJP government in the state has repeatedly claimed of taking measures to improve cleanliness of urban areas in the state.

Last year, six cities from Uttarakhand were included in the Swachh Survekshan ranking. None of them figured in the 100 most cleanest cities of the country.

At 395 rank, Haldwani-Kathgodam was the dirtiest, while Roorkee (218 rank) was the cleanest in the state. The provisional capital city of Dehradun was ranked 316 and the much-frequented hill town of Nainital was placed at the 330th spot.

When asked about the Uttarakhand government’s plans to manage solid waste generated everyday, urban development minister Madan Kaushik said, “We have formed committees and they are taking steps to process the generate waste. As far as large treatment plants is concerned, the plant in Dehradun has become operational and the one in Haridwar will be operationalised soon.”

“Besides these, there are smaller plants in Joshimath, Nainital and Kichha where the solid waste is segregated into organic and inorganic, and the former converted into manure,” he said.

Asked specifically about the central government’s reply that 0% solid waste in Uttarakhand is being processed, the minister cut the call. Further attempts to contact him did not materialise as the calls remained unanswered.

The reply in the Rajya Sabha came in response to a question on the status of solid waste management in the country.

Against the target of achieving 100% management of solid waste, the country has been able to achieve only 23.7% physical targets till December 2017, the reply said. Furthermore, only 35% of the 84,016 wards in the country have 100% segregation of waste, and 30% wards still don’t have 100% door-to-door waste collection service.

It attributed the delay to the time taken in commissioning and operationalising plants. It adds that the delay is also being caused because the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) provides funds only up to 35% and the rest has to be arranged by the states and urban local bodies. This, the reply says, is causing delays in securing funds.

The other states that have fared poorly in processing solid waste include Arunachal Pradesh (0%), Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir (1%), Jharkhand (2%), Haryana (6%) and West Bengal (5%).

On the other hand, by treating 67% of the solid waste generated everyday, Telangana is the best performing state, followed by Sikkim (66%), Goa (62%) and Chhattisgarh (60%).