Solid Waste Management Rules

The Government of India (GoI) published the Solid Waste Management Rules in the Gazette of India to curb the ever-increasing quantity of waste. The rules were issued through notification number G.S.R 451 under part II, Section 3, sub-section (i). The Solid Waste Management Rules was published through the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The rules include duties and responsibilities of State, Central, Industries and individuals, instructions to set up waste processing and treatment facilities and timeframe. The Solid Waste Management Rules shall apply to the following:

All urban local body
Urban Agglomerations
Notified industrial townships
Areas that are under the control of:
Indian Railways
Airports
Airbases
Ports and Harbours
Defence establishments
Special Economic Zones
State and Central government organisations
Pilgrim Areas
Historical and religious places

Duties of Enterprises

Duties of manufacturers or brand owners producing Disposable products, sanitary napkins and diapers

All manufacturers or brand owners that are involved in producing disposable products such as tin, glass, plastics packaging should provide financial assistance to the local authorities to establish a waste management system.
Brand owners shall set up a system to collect back the non-biodegradable products that are sold in the market
Manufactures and brand owners can invest in research to recycle the materials collected back from the market
All the manufactures and brand owners should create a platform to educate the buyers to dispose of the materials appropriately

Duties of Industrial Units

The following are the duties of industrial units that are located within one hundred kilometres of:

Refused derived fuel and
Waste to energy plants that are based in solid waste

The industries shall make sufficient arrangements with six months to replace at least five per cent of the refused derived fuel

Duties to set up solid waste processing and treatment facility

The land for setting up the waste processing and treatment facilities shall be provided by the department in-charge for land allocation
The technical guidelines should be designed by the operator in the facility. The technical guidelines shall be issued by the Pollution Board of India through the Ministry of Urban Development
The operator should attain all the necessary approvals from the State Pollution Board
The operator is responsible for the accurate and solid waste management system to ensure a safe environment

Solid Waste Management in the Hill Areas

Constructing landfills on the hills should be prevented. An enclosed location shall be set up to collect waste. The land to collect waste shall be created in the plain areas within 25 kilometres near the hill.
The power to curb littering wastes on the streets at tourist attraction places the rules shall be framed by the local body
The local body can arrange the necessary requirements for solid waste management

Criteria for Waste to Energy Process

Any non-recyclable waste more than 1500 K/cal/kg having calorific value shall be utilised for generating energy, refuse-derived fuel or to feedstock. It shall not be disposed of in the landfills.
Wastes having high calorific value can be used for processing cement or thermal power plants.
Agencies, local bodies or operator of a facility proposes to establish a waste to energy plant which can process more than five tones per day should submit an application to the in Form-I in the State Pollution Control Board.
After examing the application, the State Pollution Control Board shall provide detail to set up within 60 days.

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Features of Solid Waste Management

Integration of waste system should be done by the State Government, Self Help Groups or groups authorised by the government.
Restaurants and hotels shall be responsible for segregating biodegradable waste. It should also create necessary measures to ensure that food is used for bio-methanation or composting.
All gated communities, resident welfare or market associations shall establish necessary measures to segregate bio-degradable waste
Industrial estates, Industrial parks and SEZs shall allot five plots for recovery and recycling facility
The sources of waste shall be utilised to recover, reuse and recycle.
Horticulture waste garden should be removed as per the directions of local authority