85% of country's sewage goes into water bodies: Govt

About 85 per cent of the country's sewage waste goes into water bodies untreated, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday, pressing for a change of mindset of the people in this regard. Minister Prakash Javadekar said the country has sewage treating capacity of 30 per cent only and half of which is working.

Replying to a private member's bill, he said a staggering 7 crore tonne of waste is generated annually in India, on a average 2 lakh tonne daily, comprising of e-waste, hazardous, biomedical, construction and demolition waste, etc.

The 'Solid Waste Management Bill, 2016' was moved by Congress member T Subbarami Reddy and Javadekar was replying on behalf of Environment Minister Madhav Dave, who is said to be indisposed.

Highlighting the outcome of measures initiated towards a 'Clean India', Javadekar said 1.76 lakh villages have become open defecation free whereas 3.5 crore toilets have been constructed since the NDA government came in 2014.

Talking about the measures taken towards waste disposal and management, he said the 'Swachh Bharat Mission' is providing special and higher funding at the rate of 35 per cent for establishing waste management projects to the state governments.