Guwahati, Oct 16: Significant gaps persist in the scientific management of solid waste, legacy waste and liquid waste across Assam’s 104 urban local bodies, despite infrastructure development and remedial measures initiated by the State government, according to an observation note submitted by the amicus curiae before the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The note was filed in response to the State government’s status report in a case concerning compliance with municipal solid waste management norms and other environmental issues.
“The material placed on record discloses that, while significant infrastructure and remedial measures have been initiated by the State, substantial and consequential gaps continue to exist in the scientific management of solid waste, legacy waste and liquid waste across the 104 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the State, i.e. 103 ULBs and the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC),” the observation note stated.
The amicus curiae also called for a reassessment of the State government’s claim of 100 per cent waste collection and transportation across all 104 ULBs, citing significant gaps between installed processing capacity and actual utilisation.
According to the note, the State has a cumulative waste-processing capacity of 1,925.38 tonnes per day (TPD), against actual utilisation of 1,370.30 TPD, or around 69 per cent. This leaves a gap of nearly 598 TPD. The amicus curiae recommended plant-wise audits to identify the reasons for underutilisation and ensure corrective measures within a stipulated timeframe.
The note also highlighted a mismatch between biodegradable waste generation and composting capacity. Assam generates 920.59 TPD of biodegradable waste, while the combined intake capacity of its composting plants stands at 766 TPD, leaving a shortfall of 154.59 TPD.
Concerns were also raised over the quality and end use of the compost produced, which is reportedly of non-agricultural grade and is used, among other purposes, for landfilling and earth filling.
The State’s WTE (waste-to-energy) plant has a capacity of 5 TPD but processes only 1 TPD, leaving 4 TPD of capacity unutilised. The amicus curiae called on the State to identify the reasons for the low intake and put in place an appropriate feedstock supply plan to improve utilisation.
The observation note further recommended disclosure of ULB-wise data on construction and demolition (C&D) waste generation and processing, along with details of arrangements for the separate collection and disposal of sanitary waste.
Liquid waste management also remains a major concern. The note identified a processing gap of 418.65 million litres per day (MLD). In addition, 8.646 MLD of industrial effluents is discharged into drains, eventually reaching rivers, natural drains and open spaces.
The State also faces a legacy waste-processing backlog of 19.23 lakh metric tonnes (MT), underscoring the scale of the challenge in clearing accumulated waste. The note highlighted the continuing burden of waste being added to landfills daily.
In Guwahati, the gap in solid waste processing capacity has been pegged at 316.37 TPD, while the daily addition of waste to landfills was reported at 206.17 MT.
The observations underline the need for the State to address the gaps in waste collection, processing and disposal, improve the utilisation of existing infrastructure and strengthen monitoring to ensure compliance with environmental standards.