Tough New Rules On Waste Management

The ambitious new rules that seek to clean up the entire country and bring a uniform waste management policy and protocols, will apply to every entity, whether government or private, large cities, towns, villages, and practically every patch of open land in the country, whether owned by government or even held by private individuals.

While the deadlines to meet the new norms vary from category to category, the countdown begins from April 1 this year, which the ministry of environments, forests and climate change (MoEFCC) on Wednesday said in its notification on the ‘Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026’.

However, with respect to industrial, hazardous waste, hazardous chemicals, biomedical waste, e-waste, battery waste and radio-active waste, their disposal and management will continue to follow rules under the 1986 Environment (Protection) Act, the MoEFCC said.

Making it clear that irresponsible dumping, disposal or throwing of wastes will no longer be tolerated, the new rules mandate all urban and rural local bodies to define penalties, impose fines or taxes on indiscriminate dumping of waste, and also file annual returns on this with the MoEFCC. And the pollution control boards of each state have been made responsible for monitoring all activities with respect to plans for waste management, and their proper implementation. The pollution control boards will also be required to review the implementation of these rules at least twice a year.

The penalties must also must include levying of spot fines, the new rules have made it clear, adding that all local bodies must also set up an effective grievance redressal mechanism that will also offer an online mode within one year from April 1, 2026.

The rules say that urban local bodies must also set up zone-wise decentralised composting units, where appropriate, and ensure that the bins at public locations for storage of wet waste shall be painted green, those for storage of dry waste shall be painted blue and if required, in public toilets bins must be painted in red colour where sanitary wastes can be deposited.

Recognising the role played by the informal sector in waste management, the MoEFCC said that all local bodies will have to prepare ward wise databases and upload them on the centralised online portal of all personnel, including those in the informal sector such as waste pickers or collectors involved in collection, segregation, sorting, transportation and processing or recycling or disposal activities of solid wastes.

The local bodies, according to the new rules, must also set up a system to recognize waste pickers or informal waste collectors, and details of door-to-door collection of waste, which too will need to be uploaded on the centralised portal.

The new rules also call for preparing a five-year projection for waste generation, collection, and transportation plans, mapping of solid waste management infrastructure, protection of water bodies through placement of appropriate barriers, schedules for cleaning water bodies and drains, and schedules for street sweeping.

Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 will apply to:

Every urban, rural body;

Government, corporate or private lands

Industrial areas, townships, special economic zones

Food parks, railway stations, railway tracks, land parcels adjacent to railway tracks

Airports, air bases, harbours and ports including dry ports

Defence establishments

State and central government organisations

Places of pilgrim, religious and historical importance

Timeline starting April 1, 2026

Urban areas

Population – Deadline for implementation

Million plus cities – 18 months

5-10 lakh – 24 months

All urban areas – 36 months

Rural areas

Population – Deadline for implementation

20,000 plus – 18 months

10,000-20,000 – 24 months

Up to 10,000 – 36 months