Haryana Urban local Bodies Minister Kavita Jain on Saturday directed Additional Chief Secretary, Town and Country Planning to revise building biology by making legally mandatory the disposal of biodegradable waste generated by certain buildings, on an institutional or personal level.
These include residential buildings, commercial buildings, institutional buildings, hotels, motels, restaurants, banquet halls and marriage palaces, group housing societies, clubs and community centres and old age homes.
The Minister said that according to the Haryana Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, framed by the Government in compliance of judgment of the Supreme Court, municipalities were bound to dispose of waste generated in cities and towns in a scientific manner.
"However, most municipalities in the State did not have adequate land for waste disposal and it was being dumped at landfill sites or dumping grounds. As a result, the local bodies are facing shortage of land and the pressure to dispose of waste is increasing by the day," she said.
The minister added that the institutional and private buildings produces biodegradable waste, non-biodegradable and other waste which include 60 per cent level of biodegradable waste. However, presently, most local bodies in the State dump these different types of waste together at landfills and dumping sites instead of separating them. Therefore, biodegradable waste is not put to appropriate use.
Jain added that some states had made it legally mandatory to install composting, mechanical composting, biogas and other Eco-friendly plants for disposal of biodegradable waste at personal and institutional levels. In Maharashtra, special rebate on property tax is given to those who dispose of biodegradable waste by installing such plants. This would not only help ease pressure to dispose of waste generated on a daily basis, but also ensure that biodegradable waste is disposed of after production of useful products like fertilizer and gas from it.
It would also result in favourable environment and relief to municipalities in terms of land for waste disposal as less land would be required and it would be easier to dispose of the remaining waste.
She further said that Haryana Municipal Corporation Building Bye-laws, 2014, should be amended to ensure legal provision for disposal of biodegradable waste generated by all private institutions, townships, group housing societies, hotels, motels and restaurants, banquet halls and marriage palaces, educational institutions and industrial institutions which generate more than 25 kg biodegradable waste per day. This would be done on the pattern of solar energy, solar water heating system and rain water harvesting system.