Concerned over poor waste management, NGT pulls up J'khand govt, seeks detailed report

Ranchi: Expressing serious concern over Jharkhand's poor compliance with solid and liquid waste management, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought a detailed urban local body (ULB) wise report from the state government. The NGT's principal bench, New Delhi, chaired by Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Dr A Senthil Vel, observed that Jharkhand generates 2,483 tonnes of solid waste per day (TPD), of which 2,307 TPD is processed. The NGT, in its order on Monday, noted that 176 TPD of waste remains uncollected across 29 urban local bodies (ULBs) in the state. The next date of hearing is April 21, 2026.

Out of the 2,307 TPD collected by 20 ULBs, only 1,433 TPD is processed, while the remaining 874 TPD contributes to the state's growing legacy waste problem, it said. The hearing in the matter was held on September 22 regarding the compliance of the State of Jharkhand with the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and other environmental obligations. The bench observed that the report submitted by the state was found to be incomplete and not reflecting the real situation. Also, action plans for each Urban Local Body (ULB) were not provided. "There is a gap between waste generation (2,483 TPD) and waste processing (2,307 TPD). Details of solid waste generation ULB-wise, door-to-door collection and processing, including final disposal be provided in the next report," the order said. The bench said that 176 TPD of waste remains uncollected in 29 ULBs, and out of 2,307 TPD of collected waste transported to the processing sites by 20 ULBs, 1,433 TPD is processed and the remaining 874 TPD results in legacy waste. "We further find that five bio-methanation plants are set up but their performance has not been disclosed. In Ranchi, 150 TPD of plant capacity is processing only 30 TPD. Similarly, performance of compost plants at Deoghar and Jamshedpur should be disclosed," it said.

It added: "We have observed very sluggish progress in bridging the huge gap of 319.04 MLD between sewage generation and treatment. This clearly indicates that untreated sewage is being discharged into the recipient environment. Out of the estimated sewage generation of 473.0 MLD, treatment capacities of 153.96 MLD have been created by establishing 37 STPs. Details of sewage generation ULB-wise, its treatment and disposal will be provided in the next report." The bench also observed that it is again a concerning fact that a city like Dhanbad does not have sewage management facilities, and an STP of 192.0 MLD is expected to be installed by July 2026. Further, STPs proposed at Ranchi, Mango and Jamshedpur have uncertainties and nothing is disclosed on definite timelines, it said. The bench observed: "We find that a ring-fenced amount is not allocated to each ULB and assigned to the activities to be executed to achieve compliance with the Water Act, Order of Hon'ble Supreme Court in the matter of Paryavaran Suraksha and SWM Rules." The bench directed the Jharkhand Chief Secretary to assign the responsibility to a senior officer, to be overseen by him and to file an affidavit before the next hearing. The tribunal, in its earlier order in July, 2019 when the Chief Secretary was personally present had directed that at least three major cities, and three major towns in the state, and at least three villages in every district of the state may be notified on the website within two weeks as model villages which will be made fully compliant within the next six months. The tribunal said that the 2019 direction needs to be complied with in respect of all 49 ULBs. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) last year had detected major irregularities in the performance audit of solid waste management in Jharkhand’s urban local bodies (ULBs). Anomalies were found in planning and institutional mechanisms, financial management, implementation of solid waste management (SWM) projects, expenditures, and other areas, the CAG report had said.