**Executive Summary**
This document presents the response of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to questions regarding guidelines for waste-to-energy plants, posed in Lok Sabha question No. 1190, to be answered on December 8, 2025. It addresses the management of residual ash and leachate, standardization of Environmental Damage Cost Assessment (EDCA), real-time compliance monitoring, automatic renewal of Consent to Operate (CTO), and new rules for critically polluted metro cities. Key topics discussed include: compliance monitoring, effluent emissions, and procedures for granting consent.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Residual Ash and Leachate Management:**
* Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, prescribe standards for processing and treating solid waste, including emission standards for incinerators and thermal technologies.
* If toxic metal concentration in incineration ash exceeds specified limits, the ash must be sent to hazardous waste treatment facilities.
* The CPCB issued draft guidelines for MSW incineration-based Waste-to-Energy Plants, with sections on leachate management, bottom ash, and fly ash management.
* **Environmental Damage Cost Assessment (EDCA):**
* A draft report on EDCA has been prepared and made available for public consultation.
* **Real-Time Compliance Monitoring:**
* CPCB directed State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committees on August 12, 2025, to ensure installation of Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) in MSW incineration-based Waste to Energy Plants.
* All plants must install and operate OCEMS, connecting to SPCB/PCC and CPCB servers within three months of the directive.
* CPCB has directed 17 categories of highly polluting industries to install OCEMS since 2015.
* Real-time pollutant values are transmitted online; SMS alerts are generated for violations, requiring immediate corrective actions.
* **Consent Mechanism:**
* MoEF&CC, in consultation with CPCB, notified guidelines for granting, refusing, or canceling consent under the Water Act (1974) and Air Act (1981) on January 29th and 30th, 2025.
* The guidelines establish a uniform consent mechanism, streamline procedures for obtaining consent, and prescribe timelines based on unit categorization (Red, Orange, Green).
* **Air Quality Management:**
* The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) was established for better coordination, research, and resolution of air quality problems in the National Capital Region (NCR).
* CAQM issues Directions and Advisories, and Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for air quality management in Delhi and NCR.
* The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), launched in January 2019, aims to improve air quality in 130 cities, including Greater Mumbai and Vasai-Virar, through National, State, and City level clean air action plans.
* City level plans target pollution sources like soil & road dust, vehicular emissions, waste burning, and industrial pollution.
**Impact Analysis**
**State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committees:**
* **Impact:** Required to ensure all operational and upcoming MSW incineration-based Waste to Energy Plants install and operate Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS).
* **Action Required:** Implement and enforce the directive for OCEMS installation, ensuring connectivity to SPCB/PCC and CPCB servers within three months.
**Waste-to-Energy Plants/Industrial Units:**
* **Impact:** Must install and operate Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) to monitor emissions.
* **Action Required:** Install OCEMS and ensure real-time data transmission to SPCB/PCC and CPCB servers within three months. Implement corrective measures upon receiving SMS alerts for pollutant parameter exceedances.
**Critically Polluted Metro Cities (e.g., Mumbai, National Capital Region):**
* **Impact:** Subject to city-level clean air action plans targeting various pollution sources.
* **Action Required:** Support and participate in the implementation of National, State, and City-level clean air action plans under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
**General Public:**
* **Impact:** Affected by the air quality in cities and benefits from measures to improve air quality through NCAP and CAQM initiatives.
* **Action Required:** Stay informed about air quality management plans and support local initiatives for pollution reduction.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC): Primary government body responsible for environmental policies related to waste-to-energy plants.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB): Key regulator issuing guidelines and standards for pollution control, including those related to waste-to-energy plants.
Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016: Legal framework prescribing standards for processing and treating solid waste, including emissions from waste-to-energy facilities.
Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981: Act regulating air pollution, relevant to emissions from waste-to-energy plants.
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): Initiative to improve air quality in cities, including through addressing pollution from waste-to-energy plants.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1190
TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.12.2025
Guidelines for Waste-to-Energy Plants
1190: DR. HEMANT VISHNU SAVARA:
SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB:
SHRI KRISHNA PRASAD TENNETI:
SHRI P C MOHAN:
SHRI VISHWESHWAR HEGDE KAGERI:
SHRI ALOK SHARMA:
SMT. KAMALJEET SEHRAWAT:
SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL:
SHRI RAJKUMAR CHAHAR:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to
state:
(a) The arrangement put in place for implementing the management of residual ash and
leachate under the guidelines for waste-to-energy plants issued by the Central Pollution
Control Board (CPCB) in August 2025;
(b) Whether the Government proposes to standardize the methodology for Environmental
Damage Cost Assessment (EDCA) as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
draft report of August 2025;
(c) Whether the Government has established an integrated digital platform for State
Pollution Control Boards to monitor real-time compliance status of waste-to-energy
plants and industrial units located in highly polluted areas;
(d) The manner in which the Government is ensuring that the automatic renewal of (Consent
to Operate -CTO) system does not lead to reduction in the frequency of inspection for
compromise environmental safeguards; and
(e) Whether the Government is planning new rule for the metro city critically polluted areas
like Mumbai, urban part of Palghar, National Capital Region (NCR) of India and other
cities of the country for environmental safeguards, if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a) & (b): Schedule II of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, prescribes standards
of processing and treatment of solid waste including standards for emission from incinerators
/ thermal technologies in solid waste treatment and disposal facilities. It has been mandatedthat if the concentration of toxic metals in incineration ash exceeds the limits specified in the
Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling and Trans boundary Movement) Rules, 2008, as
amended from time to time, the ash is sent to the hazardous waste treatment, storage and
disposal facility. Further, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued draft
Guidelines on Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) incineration-based Waste-to-Energy Plants for
public consultation. The Guidelines have separate section on leachate management covering
leachate collection and transfer to a dedicated Leachate Treatment Plant for systematic
treatment before reuse or further processing. The Guidelines also have separate section on
bottom ash and fly ash management. In cases where, bottom ash and fly ash are found to be
non-hazardous as per SWM Rules, 2016, modalities for recycling, reuse, disposal as applicable,
have been provided. Separately, a draft report on Environmental Damage Cost Assessment
(EDCA) has been prepared and placed in public domain for consultation.
(c): Central Pollution Control Board has issued directions to all State Pollution Control
Boards/Pollution Control Committee under section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act,
1986, on 12.8.2025 for installation of Online Continuous Emission Monitoring System
(OCEMS) for self-surveillance of MSW incineration based Waste to Energy Plants (WtE). The
State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committee have to ensure that all operational
and upcoming MSW incineration based Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plants within their
jurisdiction install and operate Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) for
real-time monitoring and that all monitoring systems installed under this directive are
connected in real-time to the respective SPCB/PCC's servers and the Central Pollution Control
Board's Online Monitoring server within three months from the date of issuance of the
direction.
For strengthening monitoring and compliance through self-regulatory mechanism, CPCB has
directed all 17 categories of highly polluting industries, since 2015, to install Online
Continuous Effluent/ Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS). The real-time values of
environmental pollutants of the effluent and emissions are transmitted online to CPCB and
concerned SPCB/PCC. In case value of pollutant parameter exceeds the prescribed
environmental norms, an SMS alert is generated and sent to industrial unit and respective SPCB
/PCC, so that corrective measures can be taken by the industry immediately and appropriate
action can be taken by concerned SPCB/PCC in case of persistent violation.(d) & (e): The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in
consultation with the CPCB, has notified Guidelines for the Grant, Refusal or Cancellation of
Consent under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and Air (Prevention
and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, on 29th and 30th January, 2025, respectively. These
guidelines establish a uniform consent mechanism introducing streamlined, single-step
procedure for obtaining consent and authorization. The guidelines prescribe timelines for grant
or refusal of consent within the specified period based upon categorization of units into Red,
Orange of Green Category.
The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas
(CAQM) was established for better co ordination, research, identification and resolution of
problems surrounding the air quality index and for matters connected therewith or incidental
thereto. The CAQM issues Directions and Advisories and imposition of Graded Response
Action Plan (GRAP) for air quality management in Delhi and NCR. The National Clean Air
Programme (NCAP) was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
(MoEFCC) in January 2019 to improve air quality in 130 cities in 24 States/ UTs of the country
through implementation of National, State and City level clean air action plans. NCAP includes
Greater Mumbai and Vasai-Virar city of Palghar District. The City level clean air action plans
target air pollution sources like soil & road dust, vehicular emissions, waste burning,
Construction & Demolition activities, and industrial pollution. The programme also leverages
mobilisation of resources through convergence of various schemes of Central & State
Governments as well as resources of State Govts. / UT administration, Municipal Corporations
and other developmental authorities for implementation of action plans.
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