India could only process 53 per cent of its waste generated, says RTI

NEW DELHI: In a reply to an RTI application, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs informed that only 53 per cent of the solid waste generated in the country had been processed until February this year. Chhattisgarh topping the list by processing 84 per cent waste followed by Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana.

According to the RTI, Mizoram and West Bengal produced 201 metric tons and 7,700 metric tons of waste per day respectively but only processed 4 per cent and 5 per cent of the solid waste they generated.

1415 metric tons of waste is produced by Jammu and Kashmir but processed only 8 per cent.

India generated nearly 1.45 lakh metric tons waste per day until February this year and of this, only 53 per cent of waste was processed, says the ministry.

Under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), a flagship programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Centre aims to attain 100 per cent scientific management of solid waste, and make the country Open-Defecation Free (ODF) by October 2, 2019, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi.

In the category of Union Territory, Chandigarh topped the list by processing 89 per cent of the 420 MT waste generated a day.

Chhattisgarh generated 1650 MT waste a day out of which 84 per cent was processed while both Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh stood at second by processing 74 per cent of 10,721 MTD and 6,424 MTD of waste respectively.

Telangana produces 8,634 metric tons of waste and it could manage to process 73 per cent. Maharashtra produced 22,570 MT one among the highest generators only processed 57 per cent.

According to the ministry, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were processing 57 per cent and 51 per cent of 15,500 and 2,272 metric tons of waste respectively. After Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh is the second state in generating municipal waste in the country. Tamil Nadu processed 58 per cent of waste it generated.

Uttrakhand processed only 39 per cent of 1406 metric tons while Odisha processed 12 per cent of 2,721 MT of waste generated. Tripura generated 308 metric tons of waste, but processed 45 per cent. Goa processed 65 per cent of 260 MT waste a day. Haryana processed only 39 per cent while Jharkhand processed 56 per cent.