GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 4516
TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2020
Food Waste
4516.
SHRI ANANTKUMAR HEGDE:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:
(a) the details of annual food waste generation along with the percentage of such waste recycled and dumped in landfill sites in the country;
(b) whether the Government has made any mechanism to dispose off the food waste efficiently without contributing much to CO2 emissions; and
(c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)
(a) to (c) The Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHETICAR), Ludhiana had conducted a study in 2015 on “Assessment of Quantitative Harvest and Post-Harvest Losses of Major Crops and Commodities in India” according to which the Estimated cumulative percentages of annual harvest and post-harvest losses of major agricultural products are as indicated in the table placed at Annexure – I.
The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016mandate all resident welfare and market associations, gated communities, institutions, all hotels and restaurants to ensure segregation of waste at source and facilitate collection of segregated waste in separate streams. Further, the Rulesprescribe that bio-degradable waste, including food waste shall be processed, treated and disposed-off through composting or bio-methanation within the premises as far as possible.
The Rules also mandate the local bodies to collect waste from vegetable, fruit,flower, meat, poultry and fish markets and promote setting up of decentralized compost plant or biomethanation plant at suitable locations; facilitate construction, operation and maintenance of solid waste processing facilities and associated infrastructure including bio-methanation, microbial composting, vermi-composting, anaerobic digestion or any other appropriate processing for bio-stabilization of biodegradable wastes including food waste.