Delhi among top 10 largest plastic waste producing cities

New Delhi, July 24: Delhi figures among the top ten largest plastic waste producing cities in the country, the government said today.

"Based on a study conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board and Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology for 60 cities in the country during 2010-11, it was observed that 10 cities viz Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Surat, Kanpur and Pune generate more plastic waste," Environment minister Prakash Javadekar told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

He said that while his ministry has notified the Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2011, the government has taken a number of steps for ensuring safety and health of workers through enactment of various statutes in the form of Factories Act, 1948. "...constitution of site appraisal committees, compulsory disclosure of information by the occupier, specific responsibility of the occupier in relation hazardous process, power of the central government to appoint enquiry committee, emergency standards and others," he said.

Replying to another question, Javadekar said the levels of sulphur dioxide (So2) (annual average) are within the prescribed norms across the country. However, the levels of PM10 (particulate matter 10) exceed the norms in majority of the cities whereas nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in 24 cities including Delhi.

He said that the government has taken various measures to check pollution which include supply of cleaner fuels as per auto fuel policy, use of gaseous fuel for public transport, pollution under control certificates for use in vehicles, stringent source specific emission standards, strict compliance of source specific emission standards, use of beneficiated coal in thermal power plants and others.

PTI