Hazardous waste: Gujarat makes 1/3rd of India's

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat accounted for 34% of the hazardous waste generated in the country in 2021-2022, accounting for more than all other states.
Data tabled by the Union government in the ongoing Parliament session shows that with more than 42 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of hazardous waste generated in 2021-22, Gujarat accounted for 34% of the hazardous waste generated in the country in the year.
Hazardous waste generated in Gujarat in 2021-22 increased by 31% compared to 2020-21, the data shows. According to the data, hazardous waste generated in Gujarat in 2021-22, 2020-21 and 2019-20 was 42,02,837 MT, 31,93,378 MT and 24,85,317 MT, respectively.
In 2021-22, India produced 1.23 crore MT of hazardous waste, the Union government data showed.
The Union MoS for environment and forests added in reply to a question said that the national inventory on hazardous waste generation and management for the year 2021-22 is under finalization and the data may change during final compilation.
Under the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016, under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, hazardous waste is defined as any waste which by reason of characteristics such as physical, chemical, biological, reactive, toxic, flammable, explosive or corrosive, causes danger or is likely to cause danger to health or environment, whether alone or in contact with other wastes or substances.
Providing data on treatment, storage and disposal facilities (TSDF) for hazardous waste in the state, the Union government said there are four integrated TSDFs with both SLFs (secure landfills) and incinerators, 15 TSDFs with only SLF and 44 TSDFs with only incinerators.