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The Print
2 days ago
- Business
- The Print
Slashing GST on waste can unlock Rs 1.8 lakh crore, high tax hurting circular economy goals—CSE
'Most small dealers who collect scrap cannot afford an 18% GST, so they keep their transactions cash-based and untaxed,' CSE said in a release on the report. 'These unrecorded transactions lead to estimated Rs 65,000 crore annual GST losses for the government.' Under the GST framework in India, scrap materials are treated as goods, and they are subject to GST when sold or traded. Further, the waste management sector in India is divided into the formal and informal sector. The formal sector consists of registered businesses that follow tax regulations, including GST, while the informal sector operates outside this framework. New Delhi: The Indian government is sitting on a hidden revenue of lakhs of crores—from the waste recycling sector, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has said in a new report released Tuesday, arguing that reducing 18% Goods and Services Tax (GST) on several crucial waste categories could bring in Rs 1.8 lakh crore in additional revenue by 2035. The report, titled 'Relax the Tax: Facilitating Waste Circularity Ecosystem through GST Rationalization', states how heavy GST rates on different products obstruct the circular economy around waste recycling in India. From the same tax rates for virgin and recycled products, to a high 18% GST on metal scrap, plastic waste and e-waste, the report explains how the existing GST regime doesn't incentivise and actively hinders waste recycling. Waste recycling and circular economy are seen as pillars of India's sustainable development policies, with Union Minister for Environment Bhupender Yadav announcing this March that India's circular economy could create $2 trillion in market value by 2050. Initiatives like the NITI Aayog's Circular Economy Cell and Circular Economy Action Plans for different waste categories like plastic, e-waste, industrial waste, hazardous waste and metal waste indicate the government's efforts towards this end. However, GST rates remain a financial barrier to the mainstreaming of circularity in most waste categories. 'The (GST) regime does not differentiate between virgin and recycled materials, taxing them equally, which places recycled products at a severe cost disadvantage despite their lower environmental impact,' said Nivit K. Yadav, programme director, industrial pollution unit, CSE, in the release. According to the CSE report, 90% of India's e-waste and metal scrap waste is handled by informal operators. Paying high GST rate on selling this scrap is unviable for many of them. This leads to the problem of GST evasion, leading to loss of crores of revenue from waste recycling transactions for the government. 'The 18% GST on ferrous scrap makes it economically unviable for small dealers to operate formally. A reduced rate would align the fiscal policy with our circular economy objectives,' said Subhrajit Goswami, programme officer, industrial pollution unit, CSE. Also Read: How GST changed import duty revenue for states—no blame, more profit CSE analysis The CSE in its analysis used data from market bodies, interaction with industries in the waste recycling sector, tax bodies like Director General of Taxpayer Services and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, and industry associations like Material Recycling Association of India (MRAI). The market value of the waste generated and recycled in India was first estimated, and then figures for GST collection and losses were estimated in a year across all waste sectors. In terms of categories, CSE found that most GST losses were in solar panel waste, e-waste, glass waste, paper waste and plastic waste. That is because more than 80% of the waste in these categories is utilised by the informal sector, making it very difficult to regulate the waste streams and therefore collect GST. For example, 95% of paper waste in India is handled by the informal sector. Paper waste operates in a Rs 25,000 crore market and despite having a lower GST rate of 5%, it makes only Rs 64 crore in GST revenue, with loss of up to Rs 1,200 crore in potential revenue, according to the CSE. The CSE reckons that if GST rates on plastic, metal and other waste forms are reduced from 18% to 12%, and informal sector participation is reduced by 50%, India could collect Rs 1,22,297 crore in GST revenue by 2035. And if informal sector participation is reduced by 100% and all waste transactions are taxed, India could collect a revenue of Rs 1.8 lakh crore by 2035. 'Our research shows that the current GST structure is inadvertently penalising the very sectors that could drive India's transition to a circular economy,' said Yadav in the release. 'By rationalising these rates, we're not just talking about tax reform; we're talking about unlocking India's potential as a global leader in sustainable manufacturing.' (Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui) Also Read: Trash piles up across Chennai areas as sanitation workers protest privatisation move
Time of India
2 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Washed, But Not Clean: No Good-Air Days In Last 2 Yrs
New Delhi: Despite heavy rainfall on four days in 2025 so far, Delhi is yet to witness a single good air day — an air quality index in the range of 0 to 50. The city recorded the last good air day almost two years ago on Sept 10, 2023, with an AQI of 45. Since monsoon months are the cleanest as rain helps in settling down the pollutants, the city's lowest AQI recorded in 2025 was 51 in the satisfactory category on July 15. In 2024, the city saw the lowest AQI at 53 in the same category on Aug 8. Experts said that due to high emissions, heavy rainfall — measuring more than 64.5mm — could not aid in ensuring a good air day. On Aug 9 this year, Safdarjung, the city's base station, logged 79mm of rainfall. It also received heavy rainfall at 77mm on May 2, 81.2mm on May 25 and 68.1mm on July 29. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Gold Rates Today in Delhi | Silver Rates Today in Delhi Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy) at Centre for Science and Environment, said the intense rainfall cleansed the particulates and dust. "But it is still difficult to attain sustained good air days due to high background levels of pollution in the region. Moreover, gases like ozone and NOx become more prominent during this season. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo At the same time, the systemic action for pollution control continues to remain inadequate," she said. Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst of EnviroCatalysts, said Delhi's air quality was dependent on emissions and meteorology. "Delhi has not seen a good air day for almost two years as we haven't reduced the emissions at source and meteorology was unfavourable," Dahiya pointed out. The data since 2015, when Central Pollution Control Board started calculating AQI, shows that good air days were seen when Delhi recorded an intense spell of rain or there was a lockdown or restriction on polluting activities. For instance, 2023 recorded just one good air day on Sept 10 with an AQI of 45 following rain and restrictions imposed due to the G20 Summit. Since 2015, the city has witnessed only 14 good air days. No good air day was reported in 2015, 2016 and 2018, but Delhi witnessed two such days in 2017 during the monsoon, on July 30 and 31. Similarly, two good air days were witnessed in 2019 when AQI touched 49 on two consecutive days — Aug 18 and 19. In 2020, the city saw five good air days — one in March during the Covid-19 lockdown and four in Aug during the monsoon. The capital saw only one good air day in 2021 on Oct 18 when AQI dipped to 46 due to incessant rain. Three such days were reported in 2022 in Sept and Oct with rain again playing a crucial role in cleaning the air. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
News18
3 days ago
- Business
- News18
High GST on scrap, e-waste hurting Indias circular economy: CSE study
New Delhi, Aug 12 (PTI) The steep GST of 18 per cent levied on several crucial waste categories has become an obstacle in the sustainable management of solid waste in India and is also leading to revenue losses of around Rs 65,000 crore, according to a new study published on Tuesday. The study by think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) finds that small dealers who collect scrap cannot afford an 18-per cent GST, so they keep their transactions cash-based and untaxed. This not only deprives the government of revenue but also distorts the market, as compliant businesses struggle to compete with tax-evading informal operators. In fact, the informal sector dominance results in an estimated Rs 65,000 crore in annual GST losses due to unrecorded transactions. Without interventions, this loss is projected to escalate to Rs 86,700 crore by 2035. 'While India is rooting for recycling of waste and promotion of a circular economy, the existing GST regime could be dumping all that effort into the proverbial 'waste bin'. For one, the regime does not differentiate between virgin and recycled materials, taxing them equally, which places recycled products at a severe cost disadvantage despite their lower environmental impacts," said Nivit K Yadav, programme director, industrial pollution unit, CSE. 'Metal scrap, including ferrous and non-ferrous materials essential for secondary steel and aluminum production, faces this high tax rate, making formal transactions economically unviable for small dealers," said Subhrajit Goswami, programme manager at CSE. This flies in the face of the National Steel Policy, which aims for 40 per cent of India's steel production to come from scrap by 2030. The 18-per cent GST on ferrous scrap makes it economically unviable for small dealers to operate formally. A reduced rate would align the fiscal policy with the country's circular economy objectives, says Goswami. Similarly, plastic waste, electronic waste and various industrial by-products are subjected to an 18-per cent GST, creating a significant cost burden that pushes operators toward informal, cash-based transactions. Goswami said this high taxation particularly impacts e-waste recycling, where valuable materials like gold, silver and rare earth elements could generate substantial formal economy revenues if properly incentivised through lower tax rates. Speaking at the report release, Pranshu Singhal of NGO Karo Sambhav concurred: 'No one actually looks at waste as a resource. They wake up only when both natural resources and waste are taxed at the same rates for them." India's waste management sector is dominated by informal operators, who handle up to 90 per cent of certain waste streams like e-waste and metal scrap. 'Policies have focussed more on the EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) rules, which manage to cover about 30 per cent of the waste but the remaining major chunk of waste (70 per cent) is handled by the informal sector," Sandip Chatterjee of the Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI) said. Millions of informal workers handle hazardous waste like batteries and e-waste without safety gear or fair wages. The CSE said formalising their work with social security, better pricing and access to healthcare is not just an economic necessity, it is a moral obligation. The study recommends lowering the GST rates on critical waste streams, such as metal scrap, plastics and e-waste, from 18 per cent to 12 per cent in the short term, with a further reduction to 5 per cent. This would encourage and incentivise compliance while maintaining revenue neutrality. Even a 50-per cent reduction in informal sector participation, combined with a 12-per cent GST rate, could generate Rs 62,384 crore in net revenue by 2035. The report proposes integrating informal workers into government schemes and providing them access to subsidised loans, healthcare and pensions. To strengthen Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) compliance, the report suggests linking GST benefits to verified recycling. Producers who meet EPR targets through formal channels could receive tax rebates, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of compliance and transparency. PTI GVS RC (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 12, 2025, 19:00 IST News agency-feeds High GST on scrap, e-waste hurting Indias circular economy: CSE study Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Industrial accidents, the human cost of indifference
After spending 37 years in India's oil and energy sector, this writer has walked through the innards of factories, refineries, and chemical plants across the country. This writer has seen, up close, the tragic aftermath of industrial accidents — not as distant events, but as raw human tragedies. These are not acts of fate. They are the result of choices — bad ones made by individuals, institutions, and systems that fail to care. We have seen it again, recently — as explosions at Sigachi Industries in Telangana, and as a firecracker unit disaster in Tamil Nadu. They are not aberrations. They are the symptoms of a deeper, ongoing national crisis. A universe is shattered every time In the last five years, at least 6,500 workers have lost their lives in India's factories, construction sites, and mines, according to government data compiled by the Labour Ministry and several Right to Information-based reports. This means nearly three fatalities every day in peacetime, in a growing economy, in the 21st century. In Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu alone, over 200 fatalities have occurred in major industrial mishaps over the past decade. But the true toll — especially from the unregistered or informal sector units may be much higher and rarely makes news. Each of these cases is not just a data point. It is about a breadwinner gone, a child orphaned, and a household thrust into trauma and penury. This writer has witnessed this — an empty seat in a refinery canteen after a fatality, families pacing outside the plant gates, waiting for news they know will break them. A study in 2022 by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) found that India had had over 130 major chemical accidents in just a 30-month window post-2020, with 218 fatalities and 300-plus injuries. Most of these occurred in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which often operate under regulatory radar. What makes these deaths even more inexcusable is how elementary and avoidable their causes are: no fire No-Objection Certificate (NOC) — factories running without even the basic No-Objection Certificate from the Fire Department; no firefighting systems — alarms, sensors, extinguishers missing or dysfunctional; no permit-to-work system — high-risk jobs undertaken casually, with no formal hazard identification or job safety analysis; no training — especially for migrant and contract workers who often speak different languages and oblivious to the signage or safety protocols; no fire exits — or exits locked, blocked, or hidden under storage materials; no accountability — audits, when conducted, are often tick the box exercises. Convictions for safety lapses are rare, and penalties are negligible. Not a core value Even in large corporates, the focus on operational excellence often overshadows basic safety culture. Globally, countries such as Germany and Japan have embedded safety deeply into industrial design and workplace culture. In contrast, India still treats safety as a compliance hurdle rather than a core value. While the spotlight is on Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, let us not pretend that other States fare better. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh have their own grim records. In fact, Gujarat witnessed over 60 major industrial fires and gas leaks in just a single year (2021), according to media and State records. According to the Directorate General Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI), India records one serious industrial accident every two days in registered factories. What are unregistered units? Nobody truly knows. The pattern is now familiar to the point of fatigue: tragedy, outrage, compensation, committee and then silence. The root cause remains untouched. The next accident is just waiting to happen. What keeps this cycle alive is national indifference — the silence of the public, the inertia of regulators, and the cost-cutting impulse of companies that treat safety as overhead, and not obligation. Workers, especially those on contract, are seen as disposable. There is also a deeply troubling class bias. Would a similar safety lapse at a high-rise corporate headquarters or in a software park go similarly unnoticed? The harsh truth is that these lives are undervalued because of who they are — migrant workers, contract labourers, and the economically voiceless. The phrase 'act of god' There is a phrase that we often hear, which is 'act of God.' It sounds biblical, a way to distance ourselves from culpability. But these disasters are not divine punishment. They are man-made. A National Geographic documentary once explored this very idea showing how industrial accidents across the world stem not from chance, but from negligence and failed systems. Countries such as South Korea and Singapore now have corporate manslaughter laws, holding senior executives criminally accountable for gross safety failures. India needs to begin that conversation. This is not just a call for regulatory reform or better audits. It is a call for collective conscience. As citizens, as industry leaders, as media, as policymakers we need to say, 'We care'. We must not only hold companies to account but also strengthen our labour safety boards, digitise risk reporting, and ensure whistle-blower protection. And for every worker who risks life and limb to keep our industries running, we must affirm this truth: industrial safety is not a favour, it is a right. The question is not whether we have the means to prevent these tragedies. We do. The only question is this: do we care enough to act? Or will we, through silence and resignation, keep proving that unspoken indictment true? Who cares? Shrikant Madhav Vaidya is former Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.
The Print
7 days ago
- General
- The Print
Greed is killing the Himalayas, dams to Dhams. Dharali is paying the price
Infrastructure development is necessary in the mountains, but not at a pace and manner that threatens the ecological balance and disrupts the delicate ecosystem. The Supreme Court had warned that the state of Himachal Pradesh may 'vanish' if we continue to meddle with nature in the name of development. The upper areas of the hillock that virtually dissolved in the cloudburst—although by some accounts it was just incessant rain—could be attributed to several tonnes of soil excavated and dumped into the Kheer Ganga river that was quietly flowing into Dharali. Thousands of trees, whose roots were holding the loose soil and preventing erosion, were reportedly cut down to construct a two-lane state highway in the hills, meant to benefit the tourism industry somewhere in the upper reaches of the mountain. The initial reports of the flash flood that devastated Dharali village in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, attribute the tragedy to a cloudburst, which is not unusual in the mountains, especially during monsoon. While this might explain the volume of water, the massive mountain of silt and clay that flattened the village appears to be largely man-made. Also Read: Flash floods due to heavy rainfall in Uttarkashi's Dharali, but IMD yet to confirm 'cloudburst' Fragile beginnings Natural imbalance leading to disasters can happen anywhere, including coastal areas, but the Himalayas are more vulnerable. In just over three years, from January 2022 to March 2025, the fragile Himalayan region saw extreme weather events on 822 out of 1,186 days, according to data from India's Atlas on Weather Disasters, compiled by the Centre for Science and Environment and Down to Earth. In total, 2,863 people were killed in 13 Himalayan states and Union territories. Several studies pertaining to the formation of the Himalayas, their ecological vulnerabilities, and possible sustainable solutions are being conducted. The fragility of the range lies not just in recent ecological damage, but also in its geological volatility. The Himalayas are considered geologically young, as the mountain range and the Tibetan plateau were formed from the collision between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate, which began nearly 50 million years ago. As the southern landmass drifted northward, the Indian continental plate slowed to around 4-6 cm per year. This slowdown is believed to mark the beginning of the collision of the plates, the closing of the former Tethys Ocean, and the initiation of Himalayan uplift. Some geologists suggest that Proto-India detached from the south-eastern margin of Africa and began to drift slowly northward until the Eurasian landmass intercepted it. The present Himalayan mountain range rose from the resulting faulting during this massive collision, which occurred in the latter part of the Tertiary Period. Fossil records show a massive spread of Eurasian fauna across the Indian landmass. The tremendous energy released by this collision gradually dissipated, giving rise to some of Asia's most distinctive geographical features, including the compression of the Tibetan Plateau, the distortion of Asia's southern margin, and even the Annamite mountain range in Indochina. According to research findings, the Deccan Plate is still 'inexorably moving northward', resulting in both Tibet and the Inner Himalayas being pushed upward even today. The Himalayas are drained by 19 major rivers, of which the Indus and the Brahmaputra are the largest, each having mountain catchment basins of about 260,000 sq km. Five of the 19 rivers, with a total catchment area of about 132,000 sq km, belong to the Indus system—the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas, and the Sutlej—and collectively define the vast region divided between Punjab state in India and Punjab province in Pakistan. Of the remaining rivers, nine belong to the Ganges system, and three to the Brahmaputra system. Glaciers also play an important role in draining the higher elevations and in feeding the Himalayan rivers. When this drainage system is disrupted, the consequences can be swift and catastrophic downstream. Also Read: Linking trade and geopolitics will hurt US more than India Put Himalayas above greed Since time immemorial, for millions of Indians all over the world, Himalaya, literally meaning the 'temple of snow', is not just a mountain but the abode of the Gods, regarded and revered as one of the gateways to salvation. Being the largest and highest of the mountain ranges, it is diverse in geology, ecology, communities, traditions, and heritage. Its natural timberline elevations are higher at the south-facing slopes, with altitudes differing by up to several hundred metres, affecting solar impact and radiation. Naturally, the sunny slopes are much more utilised for inhabitation, cultivation, and pastoral use. Over the years, increasing habitation and seasonal influx of people, tourists, and illegal settlers have resulted in a disproportionate increase in population, unplanned urbanisation, ecologically damaging infrastructure development, and unrestricted tourist influx. There's an increasing threat to both its environment and socio-economic balance. The ecological diversity in the Himalayan region plays a critical role in maintaining integration, interdependence, and sustainability of ecosystems. This can no longer be overlooked. As a precautionary measure, all ongoing hydel projects should be suspended, and a serious review of the ecological damage should be conducted before re-starting them. Desilting work must be undertaken before the monsoon arrives, and this needs to be done with the help of machines to cover more area in less time and with better efficiency. The political class, which depends on corrupt contractors for such crucial work, cannot escape blame for the havoc and loss of life caused by flash floods. Pilgrimages like the Char Dham Yatra have continued for centuries without turning into tourism. The Himalayan states must work together to segregate these two social activities, instead of giving in to the lure of linking them. The extreme greed to extract commercial dividends from religion can be detrimental in the long run. During its G20 presidency, India effectively showcased its worldview of vasudhaiva kutumbakam (the world is one family) and linked it to the Sustainable Development Goals. India's own development paradigm is built on a template of sustainability, aligned with the G20's priorities: green development, climate finance, and Life Style For Environment (LiFE); accelerated, inclusive, and resilient growth; accelerating progress on SDGs; technological transformation and digital public infrastructure; multilateral institutions for the 21st century; and women-led development. While all these objectives are important for sustainable growth, the first one—green development, climate finance, and LiFE—is of greater salience and urgency, especially in the context of maintaining balance between utility and preservation of the natural boundaries of India: the oceans and the mountains, more importantly, the Himalayas. Let us not allow politics and commerce to play with them. Seshadri Chari is the former editor of 'Organiser'. He tweets @seshadrichari. Views are personal. (Edited by Asavari Singh)
