Solid Waste Management Rules 2016

Why in news?

• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has pulled up the Kerala government for not taking effective steps to implement the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.

Types of solid wastes:

• Construction and demolition waste
  • Wastes generated in construction of new buildings, renovation and demolition work.
• Plastic waste
  • Includes polythene bags, plastic bottles etc
• Biomedical waste
  • Wastes involved in diagnosis, treatment and immunization such as human and animal anatomical waste, treatment apparatus such as needles and syringes and cytotoxic drugs.
• Hazardous waste
  • Wastes that cause immediate danger to exposed individuals or environment.
• E-waste:
  • Includes discarded computer monitors, motherboards, cathode ray tubes (CRTs), printed circuit board (PCB), mobile phones and chargers, compact discs, headphones etc.

About solid waste management rules 2016:

• It is notified by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

Key provisions:

• Segregation at source:
  • The rules have mandated the source segregation of waste in order to channelize the waste to wealth by recovery, reuse and recycle.
  • Waste generators would have to now segregate waste into three streams- Biodegradables, Dry and Domestic Hazardous waste before handing it over to the collector.
• Collection and disposal of sanitary waste:
  • The manufacturers or brand owners of sanitary napkins are responsible for awareness for proper disposal of such waste
• Collect Back scheme for packaging waste:
  • Brand owners who sale or market their products in packaging material which are non-biodegradable, should put in place a system to collect back the packaging waste generated due to their production.
• User fees for collection:
  • The new rules have given power to the local bodies across India to decide the user fees
• Integration:
  • Integration of rag pickers, waste pickers and kabadiwalas from the informal sector to the formal sector would be done by the state government.
• Zero tolerance policy
  • The rules also stipulate zero tolerance for throwing; burning, or burying the solid waste generated on streets, open public spaces outside the generator’s premises.
• Promoting use of compost:
  • The Department of Fertilizers should provide market development assistance on city compost.
• Promotion of waste to energy:
  • The rules mandate all industrial units located within 100 km from a solid waste-based Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) plant to make arrangements to replace at least 5 per cent of their fuel requirement by RDF so produced.
• Revision of parameters and existing standards:
  • The landfill site shall be 100 meters away from a river, 500 meters away from highways etc
• Management of waste in hilly areas
  • The construction of landfills on hills shall be avoided
• Constitution of a Central Monitoring Committee
  • The government has also constituted a Central Monitoring Committee to monitor the overall implementation of the rules.

PRELIMS QUESTION

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding Solid waste management rules 2016?

1. The rules have mandated the source segregation of waste

2. The rule mandates that landfill site shall be 100 meters away from a river

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer