Category: Policy & others

Policy & others
Faridabad’s plan to streamline SWM

Faridabad’s plan to streamline SWM

The Faridabad Municipal Corporation (FMC) has announced it will achieve 100 per cent waste collection by early next year. For this purpose, the civic body has procured 110 vehicles to collect segregated waste in the…

Policy & others
Telangana to focus on MSW for recovery purposes

Telangana to focus on MSW for recovery purposes

The State of Telangana is focusing on using municipal solid waste (MSW) for recovery purposes, according to recent statements by the Telangana Special Chief Secretary (Energy). However, the official did not provide information on any…

Policy & others
EU: No restrictions for waste paper exports to India

EU: No restrictions for waste paper exports to India

The supposed export ban for waste paper to India, as stated in a new EU regulation, is the result of an oversight (an unintentional error) made in a response by the Indian Government. This has…

Policy & others
Odisha: ITIs to repair and maintain equipment at SWM centres

Odisha: ITIs to repair and maintain equipment at SWM centres

The Odisha State government has roped in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) for strengthening waste management systems in the state. The Directorate of Municipal Administration and Directorate of Technical Education and Training (DTET) has signed an…

Policy & others
Operational Guidelines for SWM Urban 2.0 released

Operational Guidelines for SWM Urban 2.0 released

Almost a month after the ceremonial launch of Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Urban 2.0 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 1, 2021, the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Mr Hardeep Singh Puri launched its…

Policy & others
Ghaziabad: Notices sent to bulk waste generators

Ghaziabad: Notices sent to bulk waste generators

The Ghaziabad municipal corporation has issued notices to 968 bulk waste generators for allegedly failing to comply with solid waste disposal norms. These include 436 residential societies and high-rises, and 532 establishments, like banquet halls…

Policy & others
Ghaziabad to start ‘Zero Waste Wards’

Ghaziabad to start ‘Zero Waste Wards’

The Ghaziabad municipal corporation will soon be initiating the concept of ‘zero waste wards’ which will include 10 residential wards on a pilot basis. Officials of the corporation said that waste generated from the wards…

Policy & others
Union Cabinet approves continuation of SBM (Urban)

Union Cabinet approves continuation of SBM (Urban)

The Union cabinet has approved the continuation of Swachh Bharat Mission (urban) and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for five years till 2025-26. The financial outlay for Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) till 2025-26 is an…

Policy & others
World Bank to invest $150 million in Chennai

World Bank to invest $150 million in Chennai

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved a $150 million program to support the Government of Tamil Nadu to transform Chennai into a world-class city that is more green, livable, competitive, and resilient…

Policy & others
PM launches SBM 2.0

PM launches SBM 2.0

Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi has launched Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation 2.0. The goal of ‘Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0’ is to make the cities garbage-free, he said. The…

Policy & others
Andhra CM to launch new cleanliness drive

Andhra CM to launch new cleanliness drive

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Mr YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will launch the Clean Andhra Pradesh (CLAP)-Jagananna Swachha Sankalpam on October 2. The CM will flag off 2,600 garbage collecting vehicles at Benz Circle in Vijayawada…

Policy & others
Mumbai experiments with 100% segregation at source at ward-level

Mumbai experiments with 100% segregation at source at ward-level

The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) is implementing a pilot project for 100% segregation at source in the suburb of Andheri West. Self-help groups will be involved in sorting and reusing of dry waste,…

Policy & others
New SWM Rules in UP: Segregation at source compulsory

New SWM Rules in UP: Segregation at source compulsory

Following the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Cabinet’s approval to the Uttar Pradesh Solid Waste (Management, Operation and Sanitation) Rules last week, it will soon be compulsory for households to segregate waste at source. Urban local bodies…

Policy & others
NGT: ‘Legacy waste continues to be a serious problem’

NGT: ‘Legacy waste continues to be a serious problem’

Legacy waste continues to be a serious problem and it is high time such sites are cleared and solid waste collected is disposed of scientifically, the National Green Tribunal has said. Legacy waste has the potential to…

Policy & others
Pullution control boards lacking transparency, new study finds

Pullution control boards lacking transparency, new study finds

Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has released a study assessing how transparent state pollution control boards (PCBs) are, in terms of putting out environmental and governance information into the public domain.  The study…

Policy & others
Focus on data for better solid waste management

Focus on data for better solid waste management

Awareness and capacity building Decentralised resource recovery Improvement of disposal site operations Circular investments These are the four action areas in solid waste management for Mangaluru, as identified by the UN Habitat using its proprietary…

Policy & others
MNRE: Loan interest subvention scheme for innovative WtE projects

MNRE: Loan interest subvention scheme for innovative WtE projects

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has launched a loan interest subvention scheme in association with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Global Environment Facility (GEF) to provide financial assistance for innovative waste to energy bio-methanation projects. As…

Policy & others
Mumbai: New initiative to bring informal waste pickers into mainstream

Mumbai: New initiative to bring informal waste pickers into mainstream

The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) plans to involve waste picker organizations for segregation activity at waste unloading sites. The corporation has invited Expression of Interest (EOI) seeking response from registered waste picker organizations…

Policy & others
Pune civic body resumes SWM efforts after a gap during second COVID wave

Pune civic body resumes SWM efforts after a gap during second COVID wave

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has announced it will implement the SWM Rules 2016 strictly once again. Rules were relaxed since March owing to a sharp rises in cases during the second wave of the…

Policy & others
Bengaluru to install CCTV cameras at garbage hotspots

Bengaluru to install CCTV cameras at garbage hotspots

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) is planning to install CCTV cameras at garbage black spots in the city to catch offenders. The state government has approved the BBMP’s plans to install 2415 CCTVs at,…

Policy & others
Chennai asks bulk generators to segregate waste

Chennai asks bulk generators to segregate waste

The Greater Chennai Municipal Corporation (GCMC) has asked bulk waste generators to segregate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste on their premises. Failure to do so by a fixed time limit will lead to a penalty. As…

Policy & others
Under pressure from contractor, Ludhiana MC raises tipping fee

Under pressure from contractor, Ludhiana MC raises tipping fee

The Ludhiana civic body has agreed to increase its tipping fee by Rs 101 to Rs 425, following pressure from the private contractor after it gave an ultimatum to stop lifting waste. The final decision…

Policy & others
NGT: Authorities must expedite legacy waste removal at Brahmapuram

NGT: Authorities must expedite legacy waste removal at Brahmapuram

The Kerala government was asked by the National Green Tribunal to expedite the biomining of legacy waste at Brahmapuram. A private firm had submitted a proposal to carry out biomining of the waste several months…

Policy & others
Vijayawada to charge user fee for waste collection from July

Vijayawada to charge user fee for waste collection from July

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has announced it will start collecting user charges for waste collection in July. Residents of slum areas will have to pay Rs 30 per month while those living in non-slum…

Policy & others
CPCB provides a template to districts for developing SWM plans

CPCB provides a template to districts for developing SWM plans

Following a 2019 order by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has extended its support to district administrations across the country to prepare a District Environment Plan (DEP), which also…

Policy & others
Officials from Chandigarh made visit to unsuitable waste plant

Officials from Chandigarh made visit to unsuitable waste plant

On 22 June, 10 councillors and officials of the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) have visited a waste processing plant in the city of Ambala, Haryana to study technology for processing dry waste. However, as further…

Policy & others
Tirupati to implement higher user charges

Tirupati to implement higher user charges

The Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) has announced plans to increase user charges for waste collection from households and commercial establishments. The corporation has proposed to collect Rs 40 and Rs 60 per month from…

Policy & others
Jodhpur announces fines on citizens for littering

Jodhpur announces fines on citizens for littering

Jodhpur has announced a fine on citizens caught throwing garbage in the open. The penalty ranges from Rs 100 to Rs 5000. As per the new rules, those who throw garbage inside residential complexes, as…

Policy & others
Delhi’s new master plan proposes to significantly reduce reliance on landfills

Delhi’s new master plan proposes to significantly reduce reliance on landfills

The Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) latest draft Masterplan 2021 for the national capital titled ‘MPD 2041‘ proposes that no new landfill sites must be created in the city and a focus on ‘minimum waste localities must…

Policy & others
New Gurugram MC: Effective SWM is a priority

New Gurugram MC: Effective SWM is a priority

Gurugram’s new Municipal Commissioner Mr Mukesh Kumar Ahuja who took charge on Tuesday, has announced that effective waste disposal is among his top priorities. Mr Ahuja visited the Bandhwari landfill site and held a meeting…

Policy & others
Nagpur to replace WtE plans with composting and recycling projects

Nagpur to replace WtE plans with composting and recycling projects

The Maharashtra government has approved the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) plan to develop composting plants, material recovery facilities (MRF), and construction and demolition (C&D) projects. This marks a shift from the NMC’s earlier focus on…

Policy & others
Jal Shakti Ministry: Rs 40,700 crores for rural waste management

Jal Shakti Ministry: Rs 40,700 crores for rural waste management

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has announced Rs 40,700 crores to support over two lakh villages achieve solid and liquid waste management (SLWM) under the Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBM-G) Phase 2 in 2021-22. The…

Policy & others
Panjim to make several new purchases for waste management

Panjim to make several new purchases for waste management

The Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) has given its green signal to a slew of solid waste management projects proposed by the Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP). These include tipper trucks, screening…

Policy & others
Karnataka WtE project tariff retained at Rs 7.28/kWh

Karnataka WtE project tariff retained at Rs 7.28/kWh

The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has announced it will retain the tariff for waste-to-energy projects at Rs 7.08/kWh from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. According to Mercom, the Commission had announced a…

Policy & others
Pune ZP launches rural waste management project

Pune ZP launches rural waste management project

The Pune Zilla Parishad (ZP) has announced a Rs 130 crore project for rural waste management. This project is aimed at enabling all the talukas to better manage their waste. The Pune ZP is the…

Policy & others
Odisha: ULBs will help in rural waste management

Odisha: ULBs will help in rural waste management

The Odisha government has announced that Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) will contribute to rural waste management efforts in the state. Specifically, the ULBs have been asked to leverage their Fecal Sludge Management (FSM) and Plastic…

Policy & others
Mumbai: Citizens await response of BMC on Deonar WtE project

Mumbai: Citizens await response of BMC on Deonar WtE project

Mumbaikars are awaiting a response from the civic body regarding a second public hearing for the Deonar Waste to Energy Project. Within the span of a week, 300 citizens had written to the BMC regarding…

Policy & others
‘Punjab has achieved 100 percent door-to-door waste collection’

‘Punjab has achieved 100 percent door-to-door waste collection’

Punjab has achieved almost 100 per cent door-to-door collection and segregation of municipal solid waste, Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan has said. The Chief Secretary said that the state would intensify its efforts for the management…

Policy & others
Maharashtra to provide land for SWM, says Minister

Maharashtra to provide land for SWM, says Minister

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra has said that it would provide land to all municipal councils and nagar panchayats for solid waste management. The announcement was made by Maharashtra Revenue Minister Balasaheb…

Policy & others
IIM Indore and city civic body sign MoU

IIM Indore and city civic body sign MoU

The Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Management (IIM-I) to develop a module on Solid Waste Management strategy for replicating the Indore model of cleanliness…

Policy & others
A Tale of Two Cities: Municipalities apply different strategies to make residents segregate waste

A Tale of Two Cities: Municipalities apply different strategies to make residents segregate waste

The competition to earn higher rankings in Swacch Survekshan 2021 is heating up. Various municipalities are deploying different strategies to motivate residents to segregate waste-at-source. Here’s how two of them are dealing with the issue:…

Policy & others
Chennai civic body terminates contract of hundreds of sanitation works

Chennai civic body terminates contract of hundreds of sanitation works

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has terminated the contract of more than 740 sanitation workers without any prior notice, reports Newsclick.in. Another 2,200 workers could face the same fate. The termination comes after the GCC…

Policy & others
Odisha asks ULBs to actively involve waste-pickers

Odisha asks ULBs to actively involve waste-pickers

The Orissa government has asked district collectors and urban local bodies across the state to to identify all rag pickers and involve them in the works of MCCs and material recovery facilities (MRFs) so that…

Policy & others
Pune civic body’s ultimatum to bulk waste generators

Pune civic body’s ultimatum to bulk waste generators

The Pune civic administration has announced that it will stop collecting garbage from the premises of bulk waste generators that fail to comply with the norm of processing wet waste at the source by March-end. …

Policy & others
Vizag civic body attempts to make city dustbin-free

Vizag civic body attempts to make city dustbin-free

Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has made a beginning to make the city dustbin-free. As part of it, the civic body has removed dumper bins in 20 per cent of the city area where door-to-door…

Policy & others
Ghaziabad to invest in SWM projects

Ghaziabad to invest in SWM projects

Ghaziabad municipal corporation (GMC) has announced additional funds for solid waste management in the city. Corporation officials informed The Hindustan Times that Rs 60.5 crore will be devoted towards solid waste management. An additional Rs…

Policy & others
Chennai rolls back decision on user fee

Chennai rolls back decision on user fee

A day after announcing it will implement a user fee for garbage collection from January 1, 2021, the Greater Chennai Corporation has decided to roll back its decision. The announcement was made following a request…

Policy & others
Ahmedabad makes waste segregation mandatory for bulk generators

Ahmedabad makes waste segregation mandatory for bulk generators

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has directed all premises, including residential and commercial units producing more than 50 kgs of daily waste, to segregate waste at source into biodegradable, non-biodegradable and domestic hazardous waste. It…

Policy & others
SWM user charges to be implemented in Chennai

SWM user charges to be implemented in Chennai

Building owners within the Greater Chennai Corporation will have to pay user charges to the civic body for garbage removal from January 1 as per Solid Waste Management Rules, 2019. The move to collect user…

Policy & others
Patna implements “intelligent” SWM project

Patna implements “intelligent” SWM project

The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has begun pasting unique QR codes outside homes in the city to monitor the door-to-door waste collection system. The civic body’s target is to cover 2.50 lakh households in the…