Performance Audit on Solid Waste Management in Urban Areas of Meghalaya

An audit of solid waste management in Meghalaya's urban areas for 2017-22. It found segregation at source not happening, no facilities for domestic hazardous waste, user charges largely uncollected, supervisory staff far below what the state's own manual requires, and bio-medical waste treatment absent outside Shillong — where the one facility's incinerator was not working.

State: Meghalaya
Audit period: 1 Apr 2017 — 31 Mar 2022
Presented: 30 Aug 2024

Findings

Segregation of waste at source by households and institutions was insufficient and there were no facilities for domestic hazardous waste; the department's own data on segregation was unreliable.
“Insufficient segregation of solid waste at source by households and institutions and no facilities for segregating domestic hazardous waste indicated weak enforcement of SWM Rules in Meghalaya... Data available with the department on waste segregation at source was unreliable.”Executive Summary
Most municipal boards did not collect the user fee that the SWM Rules and local bye-laws provide for, losing revenue that could have offset operating losses.
“Despite the provision in SWM Rules and local bye-laws for the collection of user fees from households to cover solid waste management costs, most Municipal Boards did not collect user fee resulting in a significant loss of potential revenue that could have helped offset operating losses incurred in SWM activities.”Executive Summary
Apart from Shillong Municipal Board, test-checked urban local bodies and town committees lacked the common bio-medical waste treatment facility the 2016 rules require; the Shillong facility's incinerator was not working, drawing ₹0.82 crore of environmental compensation from the CPCB.
“Except for Shillong Municipal Board, the test-checked ULBs and Town Committees in Meghalaya lacked Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment and Disposal Facilities (CBMWTF) as required by BMW Rules 2016... Non-functioning incinerator of CBMWTF Shillong attracted imposition of Environmental Compensation of ₹ 0.82 crore on Shillong Municipal Board by the CPCB.”Executive Summary
Supervisory staff for solid waste management fell significantly short of what the 2016 municipal solid waste manual recommends, and the state relied on Asian Development Bank funding and central grants rather than its own budget.
“The inadequate availability of supervisory staff, falling significantly short of the recommendations outlined in the MSWM Manual 2016, has adversely affected the ability of the selected Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Town Committee in Meghalaya to effectively manage solid waste activities”Executive Summary

Findings

Segregation of waste at source by households and institutions was insufficient and there were no facilities for domestic hazardous waste; the department's own data on segregation was unreliable.

“Insufficient segregation of solid waste at source by households and institutions and no facilities for segregating domestic hazardous waste indicated weak enforcement of SWM Rules in Meghalaya... Data available with the department on waste segregation at source was unreliable.”Executive Summary

Most municipal boards did not collect the user fee that the SWM Rules and local bye-laws provide for, losing revenue that could have offset operating losses.

“Despite the provision in SWM Rules and local bye-laws for the collection of user fees from households to cover solid waste management costs, most Municipal Boards did not collect user fee resulting in a significant loss of potential revenue that could have helped offset operating losses incurred in SWM activities.”Executive Summary

Apart from Shillong Municipal Board, test-checked urban local bodies and town committees lacked the common bio-medical waste treatment facility the 2016 rules require; the Shillong facility's incinerator was not working, drawing ₹0.82 crore of environmental compensation from the CPCB.

“Except for Shillong Municipal Board, the test-checked ULBs and Town Committees in Meghalaya lacked Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment and Disposal Facilities (CBMWTF) as required by BMW Rules 2016... Non-functioning incinerator of CBMWTF Shillong attracted imposition of Environmental Compensation of ₹ 0.82 crore on Shillong Municipal Board by the CPCB.”Executive Summary

Supervisory staff for solid waste management fell significantly short of what the 2016 municipal solid waste manual recommends, and the state relied on Asian Development Bank funding and central grants rather than its own budget.

“The inadequate availability of supervisory staff, falling significantly short of the recommendations outlined in the MSWM Manual 2016, has adversely affected the ability of the selected Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Town Committee in Meghalaya to effectively manage solid waste activities”Executive Summary