Experts hail new waste management rules

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has modified the waste management rules 2000, in the wake of the increasing pollution levels and waste mismanagement.

The MoEFCC, on April 8, 2016, through a gazette notification issued fresh rules for municipal solid waste, construction and demolition waste (C&DW), e-waste management, hazardous and other waste (management and transboundary management), bio-medical waste management and solid waste management.

While officials from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) have started implementing the new rules, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) say that they need time to understand the guidelines before implementing them. But experts opine the new rules are a good move, especially pertaining to C&DW and landfill sites, but measures to penalise offenders have not been listed.

According to the new rules, buffer zones should be strictly maintained around landfill sites. There should be regular air and groundwater quality monitoring around these sites. The Urban Development Department (UDD) has been given the responsibility to manage solid waste, especially C&DW. They have been told to conduct regular inspections with local corporations and ensure that waste is not dumped haphazardly. In case of C&DW, the UDD and the rural development and panchayat raj department will have to work together. Builders, while seeking approvals, will have to mention their waste management mechanism.

Prof T V Ramachandra of the Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc, said many rules like capping and maintaining landfill sites and sanitary lines are the same. But the idea of maintaining buffer zones, laying down rules for waste processing and treatment facilities and restricting the limit of dumping to five tonnes per day is a good move. The challenge will be implementing it, in the absence of penalising offenders, he said.

Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of the Centre for Science and Environment, said the waste-recycling capacity of Delhi and Bengaluru is good, but implementation is a challenge in the absence of accountability, compliance strategy and penalty. There are cases where landfill sites have caught fire, thus listing detailed rules is essential. However, the idea of finding more landfills is wrong as there is a need to minimise waste, she said.