Ministry of Environment and Forests
Notification
New Delhi, the 25th September, 2000

Schedule IV

[see rules 6(1) and (3), 7(2)] 
Standards for Composting, Treated Leachates and Incineration

1. The waste processing or disposal facilities shall include composting, incineration, pelletisation, energy recovery or any other facility based on state-of-the-art technology duly approved by the Central Pollution Control Board
2. In case of engagement of private agency by the municipal authority, a specific agreement between the municipal authority and the private agency shall be made particularly, for supply of solid waste and other relevant terms and conditions.
3. In order to prevent pollution problems from compost plant and other processing facilities, the following shall be complied with, namely :-

1. The incoming wastes at site shall be maintained prior to further processing. To the extent possible, the waste storage area should be covered. If, such storage is done in an open area, it shall be provided with impermeable base with facility for collection of leachate and surface water run-off into lined drains leading to a leachate treatment and disposal facility;
2. Necessary precautions shall be taken to minimise nuisance of odour, flies, rodents, bird menace and fire hazard;
3. In case of breakdown or maintenance of plant, waste intake shall be stopped and arrangements be worked out for diversion of wastes to the landfill site;
4. Pre-process and post-process rejects shall be removed from the processing facility on regular basis and shall not be allowed to pile at the site. Recyclables shall be routed through appropriate vendors. The non-recyclables shall be sent for well designed landfill site(s).
5. In case of compost plant, the windrow area shall be provided with impermeable base. Such a base shall be made of concrete or compacted clay, 50 cm thick, having permeability coefficient less than 10^-7 cm/sec. The base shall be provided with 1 to 2 per cent slope and circled by lined drains for collection of leachate or surface run-off;
6. Ambient air quality monitoring shall be regularly carried out particularly for checking odour nuisance at down-wind direction on the boundary of processing plant.

·  In order to ensure safe application of compost, the following specifications for compost quality shall be met, namely:-

Parameters	Concentration not to exceed * (mg/kg dry basis , except pH value and C/N ratio)
Arsenic	10.00
Cadmium	5.00
Chromium	50.00
Copper	300.00
Lead	100.00
Mercury	0.15
Nickel	50.00
Zinc	1000.00
C/N ratio	20-40
PH	5.5-8.5

* Compost (final product) exceeding the above stated concentration limits shall not be used for food crops. However, it may be utilized for purposes other than growing food crops.

4. The disposal of treated leachates shall follow the following standards, namely:-

S.No	Parameter	Standards ( Mode of Disposal )
		Inland surface water	Public sewers	Land disposal
1.	Suspended solids, mg/l, max	100	600	200
2.	Dissolved solids (inorganic) mg/l, max.	2100	2100	2100
3	PH value	5.5 to 9.0	5.5 to 9.0	5.5 to 9.0
4	Ammonical nitrogen (as N), mg/l, max.	50	50	-
5	Total Kjeldahl nitrogen (as N), mg/l, max.	100	-	-
6	Biochemical oxygen demand ( 3 days at 270 C) max.(mg/l)	30	350	100
7	Chemical oxygen demand, mg/l, max.	250	-	-
8	Arsenic (as As), mg/l, max	0.2	0.2	0.2
9	Mercury (as Hg), mg/l, max	0.01	0.01	-
10	Lead (as Pb), mg/l, max	0.1	1.0	-
11	Cadmium (as Cd), mg/l, max	2.0	1.0	-
12	Total Chromium (as Cr), mg/l, max.	2.0	2.0	-
13	Copper (as Cu), mg/l, max.	3.0	3.0	-
14	Zinc (as Zn), mg/l, max.	5.0	15	-
15	Nickel (as Ni), mg/l, max	3.0	3.0	-
16	Cyanide (as CN), mg/l, max.	0.2	2.0	0.2
17	Chloride (as Cl), mg/l, max.	1000	1000	600
18	Fluoride (as F), mg/l, max	2.0	1.5	-
19	Phenolic compounds (as C6H5OH) mg/l, max.	1.0	5.0	-

Note : While discharging treated leachates into inland surface waters, quantity of leachates being discharged and the quantity of dilution water available in the receiving water body shall be given due consideration.

The incinerators shall meet the following operating and emission standards, namely:-

1. Operating Standards

(1) The combustion efficiency (CE) shall be at least 99.00%.

(2) The combustion efficiency is computed as follows :

                %CO2  

C.E. = ------------------------ x 100

             %CO2 + %CO

1. Emission Standards

Parameters                                  Concentration mg/Nm³ at (12% CO₂ correction)

(1) Particulate matter                                        150

(2) Nitrogen Oxides                                            450

(3)HCl                                                                   50

(4) Minimum stack height shall be 30 metres above ground.   

(5) Volatile organic compounds in ash shall not be more than                        0.01%.

Note :

1. Suitably designed pollution control devices shall be installed or retrofitted with the incinerator to achieve the above emission limits, if necessary.
2. astes to be incinerated shall not be chemically treated with any chlorinated disinfectants
3. Chlorinated plastics shall not be incinerated.
4. Toxic metals in incineration ash shall be limited within the regulatory quantities as specified in the Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989 as amended from time to time.
5. Only low sulphur fuel like l.d.o., l.s.h.s or Diesel shall be used as fuel in the incinerator