The Centre today came out with new solid waste management rules which make it mandatory for manufacturers of sanitary napkins and diapers to provide separate pouches along with the product for its proper disposal.
The Environment Ministry's Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, has an expanded ambit and extends beyond municipal corporations and includes railway stations, industrial townships, airports, ports, defence establishments, places of pilgrimage.
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.
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.
"The last such rules were framed in 2000 and for 16 years there was no review. At present, 620 lakh tonnes of solid waste is generated every year. Out of that, only 70 per cent or 430 lakh tonnes is collected of which only 30 per cent, or 120 lakh tonnes, gets treated. The rest of it goes into the dumps.
"This is dangerous and also gives rise to health hazards. The way the population is increasing, it is projected that by 2030, the solid waste generated will be 165 million tonnes and by 2050, it is expected to increase to 437 million tonnes. So, this is the time to ensure proper management of solid waste," Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.
Terming it a "serious" problem, 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.
Citing a complaint of ragpickers that they face health hazards while picking diapers and sanitary napkins, the minister said, "Manufacturers or brand owners or marketing companies of sanitary napkins and diapers should explore the possibility of using all recyclable materials in their products or provide a pouch or wrapper for disposal of each napkin or diaper along with the packet of their sanitary products.
"All such manufacturers, brand owners or marketing companies should educate the masses about wrapping and disposing of their products.
"Burning of solid wastes and biomass is a crime now and
will be dealt with severely under the Environment Protection Act," Javadekar said.
All residents' welfare and market associations and gated communities with an area of above 5,000sq.M will have to segregate waste at source into material like plastic, tin, glass, paper and others and hand over recyclable material either to authorised waste-pickers and recyclers or to the urban local body.
The rules also have provisions for the integration of ragpickers and waste dealers (kabadiwalas) into the formal system through facilitation by state governments.
"The rules will have provisions for bringing them into the formal sector and they will be provided with registration, health facilities and education," the minister said.
The new rules will cover outgrowths of urban agglomerations, census towns, notified industrial townships, areas under the control of the railways, airports, airbases, ports and harbours, defence establishments, special economic zones, state and central government organisations, places of pilgrimage or religious and historical importance.
"Earlier, its jurisdiction was over 4,041 such areas. Now, it will also include 981 villages under various gram panchayats, apart from railways, ports etc.
"In these rules, we have identified these areas as separate solid waste management entities. We have increased the ambit. Earlier, only 15 crore people were under the ambit of these rules. Now, 45 crore will come under it," Javadekar said.
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 ragpickers or waste collectors.
Municipal authorities will levy user fees for collection, disposal and processing from bulk generators. The amount will be decided by the local civic bodies.
"No person should throw, burn or bury solid waste generated by him on streets, open public spaces, outside his premises or in drains or water bodies. The generator would have to pay 'User Fee' to waste collectors and 'Spot Fine' for littering and non-segregation," the new rules state.
