No action plan for implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016, says CAG

The CAG, in an audit report, has said that plastic waste management rules could not be implemented effectively due to lack of an action plan by the Union Environment Ministry.

"Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) have no action plan for implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016, as a result, plastic waste management rules could not be implemented effectively and efficiently," the government auditor said in a report tabled in Parliament n Tuesday.

"There were data gaps due to which the CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) as well as the MoEF&CC did not have complete and comprehensive picture of plastic waste generation in entire country during the period 2015-20. Audit also observed that the data received from SPCBs and PCCs was not validated by the CPCB to assess its authenticity and correctness," it said.

The CAG report also said that all the three sampled ULBs (urban local bodies) of Delhi did not furnish the data of plastic waste generated to the DPCC every year during 2015-20.

"East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) did not furnish data for the period 2015-20, North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) for 2015-16 and 2017-18 and South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) for 2015-16. However, on comparison of the data made available to the DPCC with that provided to audit, variation of 45.97 per cent was observed in the data of the NDMC; while, in case of the SDMC, the variation in the figures was 40 per cent," it said.

The CAG has recommended that the Ministry needs to put a system in place for effective data collection in relation to generation, collection and disposal of plastic waste, through its agencies (CPCB, SPCBs/PCCs) and monitor their performance.

It also said that the CPCB and state PCBs/PCCs in coordination with local bodies need to carry out, periodically, a comprehensive assessment of the quantity of plastic waste being generated and collected data according to parameters like population size, geographical size of the area, economic growth, increased demand for consumer goods and change in manufacturing methods etc.

It recommended that local bodies may expedite the process of notifying their bye-laws by incorporating plastic waste management rules.

The report also flagged unfruitful expenditure on a demonstration project saying: "Ineffective monitoring by MoEF&CC and delay in release of financial assistance resulted in non-achievement of environmental benefits from the demonstration project and unfruitful expenditure of Rs 73.35 lakh."