By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 2: The state government has not taken any concrete steps to ensure the implementation of the Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste Management Rules 2016.
The delay in finalising and approving the Meghalaya State Policy on Construction & Demolition Waste, along with the lack of direction from relevant authorities, has hindered the implementation of the C&D Waste Management Rules 2016 in the state.
The draft Meghalaya State Policy on C&D Waste was forwarded by the Directorate to the Department of Urban Affairs on January 7, 2022 after a delay of almost five years. The state government is yet to approve it.
Audit noticed that neither the state government department concerned nor the ULBs/Town Committee had framed any directions or carried out any activities regarding the C&D waste.
According to Rule 8 of the C&D Waste Management Rules, the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) shall monitor the implementation of these rules by the local bodies concerned and the competent authorities, and the annual report shall be sent to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the state government for generating state level comprehensive data.
Moreover, as per Rule 9 (2) of the C&D Waste Management Rules 2016, the department concerned in the state government dealing with land shall be responsible for providing suitable sites for the setting up of the storage, processing and recycling facilities for C&D waste.
In the latest report (July 29, 2022) submitted by the MSPCB to the CPCB, it was pointed out that the state government was yet to finalise the Meghalaya State Policy on C&D Waste.
It was also submitted that the site for collection and processing facility was also yet to be identified by the state government. Thus, it is evident that no concrete steps was taken by the state government to ensure the implementation of the C&D Waste Management Rules 2016. In the absence of the state policy on C&D waste, none of the selected ULBs/Town Committees had issued any directions or made any plans with regard to the management of C&D waste in their jurisdiction.
During the Exit Conference (May 2023), the Director of Urban Affairs Department stated that the policy had been forwarded to the Cabinet for approval.
The Meghalaya Solid Waste Management Bye Law of 2020 requires local authorities to collect and dump C&D waste separately without mixing, but the practice of dumping C&D waste within landfill sites goes against national policy. Therefore, there is a need for the state government and local authorities to establish appropriate storage, processing and recycling facilities for C&D waste.