Over Half Budget from Swachh Bharat Mission Allocated for Waste Management : Indian Waste Survey Ahead of $9.4bn Sanitation Investments

The Indian Government’s Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) has commissioned a survey into the sanitation situation in 75 major cities including 53 with a population of over one million each and state capitals.

According to the Ministry this is the first such survey since the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission in October 2014. The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) is a national campaign by the Government of India, covering 4041 statutory towns, to clean the streets, roads and infrastructure of the country.

The MoUD explained that the survey parameters have been aligned with the objectives of SMB with more focus on solid waste management, which is adversely impacting cleanliness in urban areas, as per the direction of Minister of Urban Development Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu.

The proposed survey and subsequent ratings to be completed in January next year is aimed at fostering a spirit of competition among the major cities and state capitals in 29 states and Chandigarh to ensure sanitation in urban areas.

In the proposed survey for rating of 75 major cities accounting for over 50% of country's total urban population, solid waste management is being given 60% weightage followed by 15% each for availability and use of household individual toilets and public and community toilets besides 5% each for city level sanitation plans and Information, Education and Behaviour Change Communication(IEBC) activities.

Under IEBC, activities of Swachh Bharat Ambassadors, putting up of large hoardings, use of local cable network and bulk SMS, social media interventions, organizing awareness generation campaigns etc will be assessed.

Spending Big

The MoUD added that under Swachh Bharat Mission, about Rs.37,000 cr ($5.6 billion) of the project cost of Rs.62,009 cr ($9.4 billion) is to be incurred on solid waste management.

In the last survey for ranking of 476 cities with a population of above 100,000 each, which was commissioned before the launch of SBM across the country, solid waste management had a weightage of only 13%.

Swachh Bharat Mission is aimed at ensuring door-to-door collection, transportation and scientific disposal of municipal solid waste in all the 83,000 wards in urban areas by 2019 besides construction of 10 million household individual toilets and over 500,000 public and community toilet seats.

Municipal Commissioners and other concerned officials of all the 75 selected cities were yesterday briefed in detail by Shri Pravin Prakash, Joint Secretary and Mission Director of Swachh Bharat Missionabout the objectives and evaluation parameters of the sanitation survey.

Survey agencies will collect necessary data from urban local bodies besides through direct observation and citizen feedback through questionnaires. A minimum of 15 respondents have to be reached out in each ward for feedback. Under contractual obligation, survey agencies will have to furnish detailed documentation including photographs and video-clips of various places surveyed.

In respect of solid waste management, the MoUD explained that the survey parameters include: percentage of solid waste collected every day, its transportation, processing, recycling and reuse including conversion to compost and energy recovery, scientific landfilling, segregation of solid waste, availability of dustbins for general waste, collection and disposal of Construction and Destruction Waste, availability of Debris on Call service for C&D waste, levy of user charges, visibility of solid waste in open and public spaces etc.

In respect of individual and public and community toilets, the parameters include: gaps in demand and supply, gaps in mission targets and actual physical progress, extent of release of funds under Swachh Bharat Mission and utilization, waiting time for use of public toilets, availability of drainage system, notification of spot fines for open defecation/urination/littering etc.

Read More

Indian Waste Management Survey Awareness High but Over Half Unwilling to Separate Organics

A survey by the Energy and Resources Institute has found that almost 90% felt that improper waste management in India posed a moderate to severe health risk, but less than half would seperate organics for recycling.

Recycling Infrastructure Needed as E-Waste Set for Explosion in India

With a massive population and increasing access to technology the near future will see an e-waste explosion in India, according to researchers at the PEC University of Technology, in Chandigarh and the Surya World Technical Campus in Punjabm, India.

A Billion Reasons for Waste to Energy in India

Twenty three Indian cities will each generate more than 1000 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste per day in the next five years. Cumulatively they will generate 93,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste every day. At this scale, solid waste management systems without waste to energy combustion technology, will not be able to safely and economically treat and recover energy from post-recycled waste. By Ranjith Annepu.