CPCB proposes change in landfill guidelines

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has reduced the proposed gap of 300-500 metres between incineration power plants and residential areas to 30-100 metres, much less than what is defined by the Swachh Bharat Mission.

The CPCB decided to reduce the gap to 30-100 metres in its draft guidelines, according to The Times of India. The main reason cited for the change in the norms is the scarcity of land in many townships. “Giving the buffer zone area around the core facility will be a challenge as land is not available and mostly encroachment has taken place in many places around landfill sites,” says the guideline document, adding, “…in most towns no land is available for treating solid waste, neither as landfill sites nor for disposal through other techniques…” Ironically, the same document cites the examples of countries like China, which prescribes a 300-metre buffer, and Malaysia, 350 metres.