New solid waste disposal rules to focus on public facilities

About 450 mn people to be covered; rubbish control through segregation

The Centre notified the revised the new solid waste management rules on Tuesday, which make it mandatory for waste generators to channelise the rubbish through segregation.

Also, manufacturers of sanitary napkins and diapers will now on have to provide separate pouches along with the products for their proper disposal.

The ambit of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, has been expanded beyond municipal corporations to include railway stations, industrial townships, airports, ports etc. This is expected to bring an estimated 450 million people under the rules as compared to the earlier 150 million.

This is the sixth category of waste management rules brought out by the ministry, as it has earlier notified plastic, e-waste, biomedical, hazardous, and construction and demolition waste management rules.

All waste generators will have to segregate and store the waste generated by them under three separate categories - bio-degradable, non bio-degradable and domestic hazardous waste - in suitable bins before handing it over to authorised rag pickers or waste collectors.

Under the new rules, local bodies can charge a certain fee from generators for proper management of such waste while provisions have been included for spot fine for littering at public places.

Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said waste-processing facilities will have to be set up within two years by all local bodies having a population of 1 million or more.

"Currently 62 million tonnes of solid waste is generated every year. Out of that, only 70 per cent, or 43 million tonnes, is collected. Of that, only 30 per cent, or 12 million tonnes, get treated. The rest of it goes into the dumps," he said.

The ministry said projections point to about 165 million tonnes of waste being generated by 2030.

Javadekar said there are at present only 553 compost plants, 56 bio-methanisation plants, 22 plants which generate fuel from such wastes and 13 plants which produce electricity through it.

The rules also have provisions for the integration of ragpickers and waste dealers (kabadiwalas) into the formal system through facilitation by state governments.

Burning of solid wastes and biomass, a common practice, has been categorically prohibited and will be dealt according to the provisions off the Environment Protection Act.

Also, the new rules will oblige the organiser of an event or gathering of more than 100 persons at any licensed or unlicensed place to ensure segregation of waste at the source and its handing over to a waste collector.

New townships and group housing societies have been made responsible for developing in-house waste handling and processing arrangements for bio-degradable waste.

The developers of special economic zones and industrial estates and parks will also have to earmark at least 5 per cent of the total area of the plot or minimum five plots or sheds for recovery and recycling facility.

A Central Monitoring Committee under the chairmanship of the environment secretary will monitor the overall implementation of the rules.