<p>Bengaluru: Three months after exempting waste processing units and landfills from environment impact assessment (EIA) rules, an expert committee of the union environment ministry has recommended a set of “environmental safeguards”.</p>.<p>On Oct 3, 2025, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) issued a draft notification which said prior environment clearance (EC) was not required for establishing common municipal solid waste management facilities (CMSWMF), including landfills.</p>.Former Karnataka minister Bheemanna Khandre passes away at 102.<p class="bodytext">The exemption had been opposed by conservationists who expressed concern over the possible backdoor exemption to waste to energy plants.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The expert appraisal committee (infrastructure 2) of the ministry took up the matter on January 2 and decided to recommend a set of environmental safeguards in the absence of EIA <br />assessment.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Many of the 21 safeguards refer to guidelines issued by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and several rules set by the ministry.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chiefly, the guidelines direct that all CMSWMFs should follow CPCB guidelines, including siting criteria.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A sensitivity screening is mandatory for proximity to forests, wetlands, water bodies, eco-sensitive zones and habitations. Segregation of waste is mandatory.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Those who seek to set up such plants have to comply with rules regarding management of hazardous waste, solid waste as well as those related to prevention of air and water pollution. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: Three months after exempting waste processing units and landfills from environment impact assessment (EIA) rules, an expert committee of the union environment ministry has recommended a set of “environmental safeguards”.</p>.<p>On Oct 3, 2025, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) issued a draft notification which said prior environment clearance (EC) was not required for establishing common municipal solid waste management facilities (CMSWMF), including landfills.</p>.Former Karnataka minister Bheemanna Khandre passes away at 102.<p class="bodytext">The exemption had been opposed by conservationists who expressed concern over the possible backdoor exemption to waste to energy plants.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The expert appraisal committee (infrastructure 2) of the ministry took up the matter on January 2 and decided to recommend a set of environmental safeguards in the absence of EIA <br />assessment.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Many of the 21 safeguards refer to guidelines issued by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and several rules set by the ministry.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chiefly, the guidelines direct that all CMSWMFs should follow CPCB guidelines, including siting criteria.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A sensitivity screening is mandatory for proximity to forests, wetlands, water bodies, eco-sensitive zones and habitations. Segregation of waste is mandatory.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Those who seek to set up such plants have to comply with rules regarding management of hazardous waste, solid waste as well as those related to prevention of air and water pollution. </p>
