“The new Solid Waste Management Rules place greater responsibility on bulk waste generators. Examine the significance of this shift for urban governance in India.”

The new Solid Waste Management rules that were announced recently are a change in the way India takes care of the environment in cities. These rules put responsibility on people who make a lot of waste like housing societies, shops, schools and offices. The Solid Waste Management rules are important because they make these places take care of their waste. This means that housing societies, commercial establishments, institutions and offices have to do more to manage the waste they generate. The Solid Waste Management rules are a deal because they change the way India handles waste in cities.

Rationale Behind Focusing on Bulk Generators

Bulk generators are the ones that make a lot of solid waste. If we focus on them it will be easier to separate and process waste. Also recycle it. This will help Urban Local Bodies because they will not have to deal with much waste from bulk generators. Bulk generators will make things better, for Urban Local Bodies.

Governance and Environmental Significance

• The rules make sure that the people who make the waste have to pay for it; this is called the Polluter Pays Principle. This means that the people who make the waste are responsible for it.
• The rules say that the waste that can break down naturally like food waste has to be dealt with on the site where it is made. This helps to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfills, which’s very bad for the environment. It also helps to reduce the costs of transporting the waste and the damage it does to the environment.
• This way we can have an economy, where the Polluter Pays Principle is used to make sure that the people who make the waste are responsible for it and the waste that can break down naturally like biodegradable waste is dealt with in a way that does not harm the environment. The Polluter Pays Principle is very important, for reducing waste and protecting the environment.

Impact on Urban Local Bodies

ULBs transition from being sole service providers to regulators and facilitators, focusing on monitoring, compliance, and capacity building rather than direct waste handling.

Challenges and Way Forward

• The main problems we face are that we do not have people to make sure the rules are followed, we need better systems in place and some people just do not want to cooperate.
• If we can keep an eye on things, tell people what they need to do and use computers to track what is going on then more people will do what they are supposed to do.
• Overall, the new SWM Rules strengthen environmental accountability, decentralised governance, and sustainable urban management.

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About the Author: Jyoti Verma