1

DAILY
CLASS NOTES
Environment & Ecology

Lecture - 24
Pollution
 2

Pollution
National Parks of Uttarakhand:
 Jim Corbett National Park
 Rajaji National Park
 Gangotri National Park
 Nanda Devi National Park
 Valley of Flowers National
National Parks of Himachal Pradesh:
 Great Himalayan National Park
 Pin Valley National Park
 Khirganga National Park
 Inderkilla National Park
 Simbalbara National Park
National Parks of Jammu & Kashmir:
 Dachigam National Park.
 Famous for Hangul (Kashmir stag)
 Hemis National Park.
 One of the most important natural habitat for the snow leopard and the largest national park.
 Kaziranga National Park
 Kishtwar National Park
 Salim Ali National Park
National Parks of Gujarat:
 Gir National Park
 Vansda National Park
 Marine National Park
 Blackbuck National Park
Stubble Burning:
 Stubble burning is the act of setting fire to the crop residue that remains after grains like paddy, wheat etc.
have been harvested in order to prepare field for sowing next crop.
 It is one of the chief causes for rising air pollution levels in Delhi during winters.
 Reasons for Stubble Burning:
 Mechanization (use of combine harvesters) leaves behind smaller stubble on the ground that is difficult
to collect.
 Laws like Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act which has delayed date for paddy transplantation.
 The Act aims at conserving groundwater by mandatorily delaying the transplanting of paddy to
beyond June 10, when the most severe phase of evapotranspiration (transfer of water from land to
the atmosphere through evaporation from the soil and plant transpiration) is over.
 3

 Farmers were forbidden from sowing paddy before May 10, and transplanting it before June 10.
 Farmers’ organisations say late sowing and transplanting delays the harvesting as well (it is end-
October by the time operations end), andthey are left with a very small window to prepare their
fields for the next (wheat) crop.
 In this situation, setting the stubble ablaze is a quick-fix solution.
 Crop intensification leaves farmers with small windows to clear the fields so burning the residue is
the easiest.
 Measures to control Stubble Burning:
 In-situ Measures: Utilization of Happy Seeder Machines; Establishment of Custom Hiring Centers to
provide access to this equipment for small and marginal farmers at reasonable rental rates; Promotion of
short-duration rice varieties and crop diversification, etc.
 The Happy Seeder Machine is a tractor-mounted device that not only cuts and uproots the stubble
but also drills wheat seeds into the freshly cleared soil. Simultaneously, the straw is thrown over the
sown seeds to create a mulch cover.
 Ex-situ measures: Utilizing stubble in various ways such as cattle feed, compost manure, roofing
material in rural areas, biomass energy, packaging materials, etc.
 Policy response to address stubble burning
 National Green Tribunal had banned crop residue burning in the states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh,
Haryana and Punjab.
 National Policy for Management of Crop Residue (NPMCR), 2014 ensure prevention of burning
of crop residues, by incentivizing purchase of modern machineries.
 Central Sector Scheme on ‘Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In- Situ Management of
Crop Residue in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi’.
 Supreme Court guideline to incentivise farmers for stopping the burning of paddy crop stubble.
 Commission for Air Quality Management directions.
 PUSA Bio-Decomposer
 Developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), it is a low-cost microbial
bio-enzyme solution that accelerates the decomposition of crop residue, including stubble from
paddy crops, into manure within 15-20 days.
 In one capsule of fungal solution, a farmer can produce 25 litres of liquid substance. After
preparing the liquid, the farmer needs to add jaggery and
gram flour to it and then sprinkle the mixture onto the
stubble, facilitating its bio-degradation within 20 days.
 This solution is emerging as a potent method for curbing
stubble burning, while also providing additional manure
through decomposed stubble, thereby improving soil quality.
 Anti-Smog Gun:
 It was recently installed in Delhi to reduce air-pollution
mainly concentration of PM10 and PM2.5.
 Anti-smog gun is designed to create an ultra-fine fog,
comprising very fine water droplets (less than 10-micron
in size).
 These tiny water droplets will be spread over a sizeable area with the help of a high-speed fan, which
can absorb smallest dust particles in air.
 4

 Green Crackers
 SC, in 2018 judgement on firecrackers banned manufacture, sale and use of joined firecrackers
(series crackers or ‘laris’) as they caused air, noise and solid waste problems.
 SC allowed the manufacture and sale of only “green” (safe water and air sprinklers that emit less
sound and light) or “improved” crackers (avoid the use of ash as filler material).
About Green Crackers:
 They are made using less polluting raw materials. Their chemical formulation ensures reduced particle
emission into the atmosphere by suppressing the dust produced. They do not contain hazardous chemicals
like Barium Nitrate.
 Green crackers were researched and developed by CSIR-NEERI.
 Different types of green crackers available in India: Safe Water Releaser (SWAS), Safe Thermite Cracker
(STAR) and Safe Minimal Aluminium (SAFAL) crackers.
 Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) under Ministry of Commerce and Industry tasked
with certifying that crackers are made without arsenic, mercury, and barium, and are not loud beyond a
certain threshold
Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM):
 About:
 A statutory body established under the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital
Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021, initially established in 2020 through an Ordinance.
 It is headed by a Chairperson with a minimum of 15 years' experience in the field of environment
and pollution or 25 years of administrative experience.
 Appeals against CAQM orders and directions are heard by the National Green Tribunal.
 Functions of CAQM:
 Coordinate actions on monitoring air quality.
 Plan and execute strategies to prevent and control air pollution in NCR.
 Conduct research and development through networking with technical institutions.
 Recent news:
 The CAQM issued directives to ban the use of coal in industrial, domestic, and other miscellaneous
applications to reduce GHG emissions.
 The use of low-sulfur coal in thermal power plants has been exempted from the ban.
 Date of implementation of the ban on the use of coal:
 October 1, 2022, in areas with piped natural gas (PNG) infrastructure and supply.
 January 1, 2023, in areas where PNG supply is still unavailable.
 Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP):
 The Central Authority for Quality Management (CAQM) issued orders to enforce measures under
'Stage-1' of GRAP in the National Capital Region (NCR) after air quality deteriorated to the 'poor'
category in Delhi.
 GRAP is an action plan designed to address air pollution in Delhi-NCR, structured around four different
stages of adverse air quality.
 It was revised recently by CAQM under provisions of CAQM in NCR and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021.
 5

National Clean Air Program:

 Launched in 2019, aiming to reduce air pollution through comprehensive mitigation actions for prevention,
control, and abatement.
 Initially envisioned to achieve targets of 20 to 30% reduction in Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5)
concentration by 2024 across the country, with 2017 as the base year.
 Recent changes:
 A new target has been set for a 40% reduction in particulate matter concentration in cities covered
under the Programme by 2026.
 Key Features:
 Preparation of City-specific action
plans which include measures for
strengthening the air quality
monitoring network, reducing
vehicular and industrial emissions,
increasing public awareness, etc.
 Implemented in 132 cities:
 123 Non-Attainment cities
(NACs) identified under NCAP
based on non- conforming to
National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS)
consecutively for five years.
 8 million Plus Cities (MPCs)
identified by 15th Finance
Commission (XV- FC), for receiving performance-based grant for air quality improvement.
 PRANA (Portal for Regulation of Air-pollution in Non-Attainment cities) portal monitors the
implementation of NCAP.
 6

Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan :

 The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) will launch Swachh Vayu
Sarvekshan under the National Clean Air Program (NCAP). 131 cities across the country will be ranked based
on their implementation of City Action Plans prepared under the NCAP, aiming to reduce air pollution by up
to 40% by 2025-26.
 Cities will be categorized into three groups based on population (population > 10 lakh, population between 3
to 10 lakh, and population < 3 lakh). For the survekshan, cities are required to conduct annual self-assessments
as per the framework provided on the PRANA online portal.
 Cities must report the implementation of activities and measures taken regarding solid waste management,
road dust management, construction and demolition waste management, control of vehicular emissions, and
industrial pollution.
 Based on the self-assessment and third-party evaluation, the top three performing cities in each group will be
awarded cash prizes.
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
 NAAQS is developed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
 They are applicable all over the country.
 The CPCB has been conferred this power by the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
 7

WHO’s Air Quality Database:

 Context- WHO has released 2022 update of its air
quality database.
 About the WHO Air quality guidelines:
 Recommended levels and interim targets for
common air pollutants: PM, O3, NO2, and SO2.
 First released in 1987 and Latest global version
published in 2021.
 About the 2022 update:
 Almost the entire global population (99%)
breathes air that exceeds WHO air quality limits.
 Introducing for the first time, ground measurements
of annual mean concentrations of nitrogen dioxide
(NO2), a common urban pollutant and precursor of particulate matter and ozone.
 These measurements also encompass particulate matter with diameters equal to or smaller than 10 µm
(PM10) or 2.5 µm (PM2.5).
National Air Quality Monitoring Programme:
 The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has been executing anationwide programme of ambient air
quality monitoring known as National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP).
 The network consists of 804 operating stations covering 344 cities/towns in 28 states and 6 UTs of the country.
 NAMP is undertaken to determine the status and trends of ambient air quality;
 to ascertain the compliance of NAAQS;
 to identify non-attainment cities;
 to understand the natural process of cleaning in the atmosphere; and
 to undertake preventive and corrective measures.
 Under NAMP, four air pollutants
 Sulphur Dioxide (SO2),
 Oxides of Nitrogen (NO2),
 Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM / PM10)
 Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5), have been identified for regular monitoring at all the locations.
 The monitoring wind speed and wind direction, relative humidity (RH) and temperature were also
integrated with the monitoring of air quality.
System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR):
 It is a national initiative introduced by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) (not MoEFCC).
 It is an integral part of India’s first Air Quality Early Warning System operational in Delhi.
 SAFAR will measure the air quality of a metropolitan city.
 It also monitors all weather parameters like temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind speed, and wind direction,
UV radiation, and solar radiation.
 8

 The network has multiple air quality monitoring stations in each city, equipped with real-time, continuous
monitors for various pollutants).
 The system is indigenously developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune and
is operationalised by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
 It has a giant colour LED display that gives out real-time air quality indexon a 24x7 basis with colour-coding
(along with 72 hours advance forecast).
 The ultimate objective of the project is to increase awareness among the public regarding the air quality in
their city.
Pollutants monitored under SAFAR System
include:
 PM2.5,
 PM10,
 Ozone,
 Carbon Monoxide (CO),
 Nitrogen Oxides (NOx),
 Sulphur Dioxide (SO2),
 Mercury
 Benzene
 Toluene (methylbenzene — used in paint thinners &
as octane booster in gasoline engines),
 Xylene (dimethylbenzene — used as a solvent in printing, rubber, and leather industry), and
National Air Quality Index (AQI)
 AQI was launched by MoEFCC in April 2015 under ‘Swachh Bharat’.
 It helps the citizens to judge the air quality within her vicinity.
 There are six AQI categories, namely Good, Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor, and Severe.
 The AQI will consider eight pollutants
 particulate matter (PM) 10
 PM2. 5,
 Ozone (O3),
 Sulphur dioxide (SO2),
 Nitrogen dioxide (NO2),
 Carbon monoxide (CO),
 Lead (Pb) and
 Ammonia (NH3)
National Air Quality Resource Framework of India (NARFI):
 NARFI is an informational mechanism designed to assist decision-makers in government, municipalities,
startups, and the private sector in addressing air pollution issues across various climatic zones of India.
 Developed by the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru, with support from the Office
of the Principal Scientific Adviser, it will provide a comprehensive guide to collecting air quality data,
studying its impacts, and implementing science-based solutions.
 It will comprise five modules, including Emission Inventory, Air Shed, and Mitigation, as well as Impacts on
Human Health and Agriculture.
 9

Norms for Thermal Power Plants (TPPs):

 Context: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) gave two year extension to
thermal power plants (TPPs) on SO2 norms.
 About TPP Norms:
 In 2015, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notified environmental norms
concerning particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SO2),
nitrogen oxides, mercury, and water usage for coal-based
Thermal Power Plants (TPPs).
 The initial deadline for implementation, set for 2017,
was subsequently extended to 2022.
 Deadline for SO2 has been further extended for all three
categories of TPPs. However, the deadline remains the
same for meeting PM and NOx standards.
 Compliance with norms requires retrofitting existing
TPPs with auxiliaries to control emissions, such as Flue
Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) and Selective Catalytic
Reduction.
 FGD refers to a set of technologies used to remove SO2 from sources of emissions, such as exhaust
flue gases from fossil-fuel power plants. Thermal power plants are the biggest users of water among
all industries.

Electrostatic Precipitators (ESP)

 Electrostatic precipitation can remove over 99 percent of particulate matter present in the exhaust.
 They are used in boilers, furnaces, thermal power plants, cement factories, steel plants, etc. In electrostatic
precipitation, dust emitted is charged with ions, and the ionized particulate matter is collected at an oppositely
charged surface.
 Working:
 An electrostatic precipitator has electrode wires maintained at several thousand volts, producing a corona
that releases electrons. These electrons attach to dust particles, giving them a net negative charge.
 The collecting plates are grounded (relatively positive charge) and attract the charged dust particles.
 The air velocity between the plates must be low enough to allow the dust to fall.
 The particles are removed from the collection surface by occasional shaking or rapping.
 10

Scrubbers
 Scrubbers are wet collectors. They remove aerosols from a stream of gas either by collecting wet particles
on a surface, or the particles are wetted by a scrubbing liquid.
 The particles get trapped as they travel from the supporting gaseous medium across the interface to the liquid
scrubbing medium (this is similar to mucus in trachea trapping dust).
 A scrubber can remove gases like sulphur dioxide.
Inertial Collectors:
 Inertia of Suspended Particulate Matter in gas is higher than its solvent. As inertia is a function of the mass
of the particulate matter, the device collects heavier particles more efficiently (centrifugation is the technique).
 ‘Cyclone’ is a common inertial collector used in gas cleaning plants.
Catalytic Converter
 Catalytic converters, having expensive metals, platinum-palladium and rhodium as the catalysts, are fitted
into automobiles for reducing the emission of poisonous gases.
 Motor vehicles equipped with catalytic converters should use unleaded petrol because the lead in the petrol
inactivates the catalyst.
 Working:
 As the exhaust passes through the catalytic converter, unburnt hydrocarbons are converted into carbon
dioxide and water, and carbon monoxide and nitric oxide are changed to carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas,
respectively.
 11

Flue-Gas Desulfurization (FGD) systems:

 FGD systems may involve wet scrubbing or dry scrubbing to remove acidic gases, particularly sulphur
dioxide (SO2) and HCl, from flue gases (gases
flowing out of vertical exhaust pipes). Lime is used
in both.
 Wet FGD
 Flue gases are brought in contact with a liquid
or solid slurry absorbent.
 The sulphur dioxide dissolves in or reacts with
the absorbent & becomes trapped in as wet
calcium sulphite.
 The sulphite can be converted to gypsum (used
in cement production).
 In dry FGD scrubbing, lime is injected directly into
flue gas to remove SO2 and HCl from low-sulphur
fuels.
Fly Ash:
 Fly ash is a by-product of coal based power generation.
 It is a fine powder with substantial amounts of oxides of silica, aluminium and calcium.
 It also contains traces of Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, lead etc. which leads to air and water pollution if disposed
on land.
 With low grade of Indian coal, its ash content is as high as 30-45% in comparison to imported coal with 10-
15%.
 With nearly 55% of our total power production through coal and lignite based Thermal Power Plants (TPP),
the fly ash generation in India is very high.
 About 83% of Fly Ash is utilized.
 Recent News:
 The Ministry of Environment,
Forests and Climate Change
(MoEFCC) has extended fly ash
utilization deadline for thermal
power plants with the introduction of
penalties for noncompliance.
 Shorter Fly-ash utilization cycle:
Existing provisions allow TPPs to
fully utilize fly ash in a four-year
cycle in a staggered manner. The new
policy will follow a three-year cycle for 100% utilization of Fly-ash with a grace period of a year if the
percentage of ash utilization is between 60-80% and two years if it is below 60%.
 Introduction of Polluter Pays Principle: A fine of Rs 1,000 per tonne of unutilized ash has been
introduced if the plant does not achieve at least 80% ash utilization annually or in three years.
 12

Acid Rain:
 Acid rain refers to any precipitation (rain, fog, mist, snow) that is more acidic than usual (pH < 5.6; pH < 7
is acidic).
 The pH Scale
 The pH scale measures how acidic or
basic (alkaline) a solution is, ranging
from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 is neutral.
 A pH less than 7 is acidic, and a pH
greater than 7 is basic. A solution with
a pH of 4 is ten times more acidic than
a pH of 5 and a hundred times more
acidic than a pH of 6.
 pH is based on the hydrogen ion
concentration in an aqueous solution.
 pH values decrease as hydrogen ion
levels increase. While the pH range is
usually 0 to 14, lower and higher
values are theoretically possible.
 Nitrogen will only react with oxygen at high temperatures and pressures in lightning bolts and combustion
reactions in power plants or internal combustion engines. Nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) are
formed under these conditions. Eventually, nitrogen dioxide may react with water in the rain to form nitric
acid, HNO3.
 The nitrates thus formed may be
utilised by plants as a nutrient
(so, the soil gets nitrogen from
acid rain).”
 Chemistry of Acid Rain:
 Basic steps involved in
the formation of acid
rain:
 The atmosphere
receives oxides of
sulphur and nitrogen from both natural and human-made sources.
 Some of these oxides fall back directly to the ground as dry deposition.
 Sunlight stimulates the formation of photo-oxidants (such as ozone) in the atmosphere.
 These photo-oxidants interact with the oxides of sulphur and nitrogen, as well as other gases like
NH3, to produce H2SO4 (sulphuric acid) and HNO3 (nitric acid) through oxidation.
 Acid rain, containing ions of sulphate, nitrate, ammonium, and hydrogen, falls as wet deposition.
 13

Harmful Effects of Acid Rain:

 Effects on soil:
 The exchange between hydrogen ions and the nutrient cations like potassium & magnesium in the soil
cause leaching of the nutrients, making the soil infertile.
 An increase in ammonia in the soil due to a decrease in other nutrients decreases the decomposition rate,
and the nitrate level of the soil is also found to decrease
 Effects on Humans:
 Bad smell, reduced visibility, and irritation of the skin, eyes and the respiratory tract. Some direct effects
include chronic bronchitis, pulmonary emphysema and cancer.
 Effects on Aquatic Life: Eggs or sperms of fish, frogs and other aquatic organisms are sensitive to pH
changes. Acid rain kills their gametes affecting the life cycles (ecosystem imbalances).
 Effect on Terrestrial Life: Acid rain damages the cuticle of plant leaves and reduces photosynthesis.
 Effects on Microorganisms: The optimum pH of most bacteria and protozoa is near neutrality. Most fungi
prefer an acidic environment. Blue- green bacteria prefer an alkaline environment. So, microbial species in the
soil and water shift from bacteria-bound to fungi-bound> delay in the decomposition of soil organic material
 Effect on buildings, monuments and materials: Limestone and marble are destroyed by acid rain. Ex- Taj
Mahal (Marble cancer)
Acid Rain Areas:
 They are concentrated in the industrialised belt of the northern hemisphere- Scandinavia, Canada, Japan,
the Northeast United States and North-western Europe.
 In India, the first acid rain occurred in Bombay in 1974. Instances of acid rain are being reported in many
metropolitan cities. Low soil pH is reported from north-eastern India, coastal Karnataka and Kerala, parts of
Orissa, West Bengal and Bihar.
Acid Rain Control Measures:
 Utilizing low-sulfur fuel or washed coal (chemically washing pulverized coal) in thermal plants.
 Adding a neutralizing agent to the acidified water to increase the pH. Typically, lime in the form of calcium
oxide and calcium carbonate is employed.
Plastic Waste Data by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB):
 Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat are among the top Indian Plastic waste producers.
 India ranks 5th in generation of plastic waste with an annual discharge of 3.5 million tonne in 2020.
 Almost 83% of this comes from just 10 states/ UTs.
 On a per capita basis, India’s plastic waste generation has almost doubled over FY 2016-20; however, remains
lower than most of the developed economies.
 14

Extra Edge:
 Plastic, being lightweight, hygienic, and durable, can be molded for a wide range of applications and is
relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
 Consequently, since the 1950s, the production of plastic has surpassed that of almost all other materials.
Microplastics
 Most plastics don't biodegrade. Instead,
they slowly breakdown into smaller
fragments known as microplastics.
Extent of Global Plastic Pollution
 Global Plastic Production by Industrial
Sector, 2015
How is Plastic Disposed off?
 According to the UNEP, as of 2015, of the
9 billion tonnes of plastic that the world
has ever produced, only 9% has been recycled, and
12% has been incinerated. India produces around 10
million tonnes of plastic per year, of which around 5
million tonnes are rendered waste every year. Therefore,
it is crucial that this waste is properly managed.
 The environmental harm caused by plastics has been the
subject of international research and analysis for many
years now. A study published by the World Wildlife
Fund in 2019 estimates that an average human may be
ingesting as much as 5 grams of plastic every week. This
is because almost one-third of the plastic waste that is
generated ends up in nature, especially in water, which
is the largest source of plastic ingestion.
Harmful Effects of Plastic Pollution:
 Environmental Impacts: Plastics take thousands of
years to decompose, thus contaminating soil and water.
They pose significant ingestion, choking, and
entanglement hazards to wildlife on land and in the ocean. There is emerging evidence that the toxic
chemicals added during the manufacturing process transfer from the ingested plastic into the animals’
tissues, eventually entering the food chain for humans as well.
 Health and Social Impact: Plastic pollution leads to health and welfare losses, rendering parks unusable
and causing sewage blockages that contribute to the spread of diseases such as malaria and dengue.
 Economic Impact: Visual pollution adversely affects the tourism sector. Additionally, the future cost of
removing these plastics from nature is higher than the cost of preventing littering today. Even biodegradable
plastics have many unintended consequences. Biodegradable plastic items often break down completely
only at temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius, conditions which are rarely met in the environment.
Therefore, even bioplastics derived from renewable sources (such as corn starch, cassava roots, or
sugarcane) or from bacterial fermentation of sugar or lipids do not automatically degrade in the environment,
especially not in the ocean.
 15

Compostable Pastic
 The Ministry of Earth Science has approved the commercial manufacturing of compostable plastic.
 Compostable plastics are a subset of biodegradable plastics.
 They are derived from sources such as corn, potatoes, cellulose, soy protein, etc.
 They are non-toxic and decompose into carbon dioxide, water, and biomass through composting.
Biodegradable plastics:
 Biodegradable plastics are those that degrade primarily through biological, mainly microbial, action. They
are commonly produced using renewable raw materials, petrochemicals, or a combination of the two.
Features of Bioplastic:
 They are 100% biodegradable.
 Equally resistant.
 Versatile; already used in agriculture and the textile sector.
Bioplastic are mainly categorized into:

Difference between Compostable Pastic and Biodegradable Plastic

Compostable Pastic Biodegradable Plastic
It requires a specific setting in order to breakdown. It can breakdown naturally
All compostable plastic are biodegradable. All biodegradable plastic are not compostable

Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016

 Key Provisions of the 2016 Rules:
 Increasing Minimum thickness of plastic carry bags from 40 to 50 microns. Similarly, minimum thickness
of plastic sheets are also increased to 50 microns.
 Expand the coverage to rural areas.
 Phasing out of non-reusable Multi-layered Plastic.
 Introduces Extended Producer Responsibility for producers and generators of Plastic Waste
 16

(Note: India first introduced EPR to manage electronic-waste in 2012. EPR was extended to Plastic
manufacturers after the notification PWMR, 2016. )
 Shopkeepers and vendors who provide plastic carry bags must register with the local authority
(panchayat, ULB, etc.), and the money collected from customers for carry bags should be used by local
bodies for sustainable waste management.
 They can only use plastic carry bags that have been properly labeled and marked for use; otherwise, fines
will be imposed.
 ULBs and Panchayats have been entrusted with the responsibility of establishing and operating waste
management systems.
 The Land Department (or any department responsible for land allocation within state governments)
should allocate land for establishing waste management facilities.
 The beneficial use of plastic waste has also been promoted in road construction and waste-to-oil
conversion, among other methods.
The 2018 Amendment:
 Extension of phasing out norms applies to all MLPs that are deemed "non-recyclable, non-energy recoverable,
or lack alternate uses."
 The CPCB will develop a Centralized Registration system for producers, importers, and brand owners
contributing to plastic waste.
 The fee provision of Rs 48,000 per year for vendors, shopkeepers, etc., has been abolished.
 Plastic has not been completely banned due to the absence of suitable, clean, and economically viable
alternatives. Implementing a blanket ban would be impractical.
Single Use Plastics and Reasons for the Ban:
 Single-use plastics, or disposable plastics, are used only once before they are thrown away or recycled.
 Plastic is so cheap and convenient that it has replaced all other materials from the packaging industry but it
takes hundreds of years to disintegrate.
 If we look at the data, out of 9.46 million tonnes of plastic waste generated every year in our country,
43% is single use plastic.
 Further, Petroleum-based plastic is non biodegradable and usually goes into a landfill where it is buried or it
gets into the water and finds its way into the ocean.
 In the process of breaking down, it releases toxic chemicals (additives that were used to shape and harden
the plastic) which make their way into our food and water supply.
Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022
 17

 Classification of Plastics:
 Category 1: Rigid plastic packaging will be included under this category.
 Category 2: Flexible plastic packaging of single layer or multilayer (more than one layer with different
types of plastic), plastic sheets and covers made of plastic sheet, carry bags, plastic sachet or pouches
will be included under this category.
 Category 3: Multi-layered plastic packaging (at least one layer of plastic and at least one layer of material
other than plastic) will be included under this category.
 Category 4: Plastic sheet or like used for packaging as well as carry bags made of compostable plastics
fall under this category



PW Web/App - https://smart.link/7wwosivoicgd4