Latest News | CAG Report Flags 'lapses' in Puducherry's Solid Waste Management

Puducherry, Feb 12 (PTI) The Comptroller and Auditor General of India in its performance audit on Solid Waste Management (SWM) in urban areas for the year ending March 2022, highlighted significant 'lapses' in Puducherry's waste management system.

The report, tabled by Chief Minister N Rangasamy in the Assembly on Wednesday, revealed that the Union Territory lost out on Rs 6.37 crore in Central funds under the Swachh Bharat Mission due to delays in finalising projects.

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Additionally, Rs 22.13 crore allocated under the Smart City Mission for SWM projects remained idle in bank accounts for over four years, the report stated.

The audit further noted a backlog of Rs 3.78 crore in uncollected user fees for waste management by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

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It also criticised the Local Administration Department (LAD) and ULBs for failing to draft short or long-term waste management plans or conduct surveys to assess waste generation.

Though the SWM policy, required under the 2016 rules, was drafted in 2018, it remains unnotified and lacks strategies for waste reduction, reuse and recycling.

The report flagged operational inefficiencies, noting that three out of five ULBs lacked waste segregation at the source.

Additionally, it found that sanitation workers engaged in waste handling were not provided with mandatory protective gear, including uniforms, fluorescent jackets, and gloves.

On the regulatory front, the State Advisory Board for SWM failed to review policies, leading to the non-implementation of scientific waste management methods.

Due to non-compliance with SWM rules, the National Green Tribunal imposed an environmental compensation of Rs 96 lakh for the period between April 2020 and December 2022.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)