Solid Waste Management Authorization

Solid waste refers to solid or semi-solid domestic waste, sanitary waste, institutional waste, commercial waste, horticultural waste, agricultural waste, bio-media waste and such other waste generated in the area under the local authorities and other entities mentioned under Rule 2. Solid Waste Management refers to the discipline connected to the control of generation, collection, storage, transportation, processing & disposal of the solid waste in a way that it is in the best interest of public health, engineering, economics, conservation and other environmental considerations. A person who engages in processing, treatment, recycling and disposal facility of waste must take Solid Waste Management Authorization under the Solid Waste Management Rules from the concerned department.

Who are waste generators?

Any individual or group of persons, residential/non-residential premises including Indian Railways, defense establishments generating solid waste are called waste generators.

Duties of Waste Generators

Their duties are as follows:

• Waste generators are required to segregate as well as store waste generated by them in three streams- Bio-degradable, non-biodegradable and domestic hazardous wastes in bins and handover segregated wastes to authorized waste collectors;
• They shall wrap used sanitary waste securely in pouches given by manufacturers or brand owners of these products or in a wrapping material. They shall place it in the bin meant for dry waste or non-biodegradable waste;
• They must store construction and demolition waste separately;
• They must store horticulture waste and garden waste generated separately and dispose it according to the directions of the local authority;
• They should not throw, burn or bury the solid waste on streets, open public spaces or in the drain or water bodies.

Rules and Regulations for Waste management in India

The following rules and regulations apply:

• Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2000- This pertains to management and handling of municipal solid waste; Municipal authorities are responsible for collection, segregation, storing, transporting, processing and disposing municipal solid waste.
• Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Regulations 1998- This regulation governs the management and handling of the bio-medical waste and extends in some manner to persons making, collecting, storing, transporting, disposing, processing or handling bio-medical waste.
• E-waste (Management and Handling) Regulations 2010- This regulation governs the management and handling of electrical and electronic waste.

Features of Solid Waste Management Rules 2016

The following are some of its salient features:

• The waste source segregation is mandated to channelize the waste to wealth through recovery, reuse and recycling.
• Integration of waste pickers/rag pickers and waste dealers in the formal system must be done by the state government and SHG or any other group.
• Generators need to pay user fee to waste collector for spot fine in case of littering and non-segregation.
• All hotels and restaurants should segregate biodegradable waste and set up a system of collection or follow the collection system step up by the local body so that the food waste is used for compositing/bio-methanation.
• All resident welfare & market associations, gated communities and institution having an area of more than 5000 sq.m need to segregate waste at source to valuable dry waste and hand over recyclable material to the authorized waste pickers or recyclers or to the urban local body.
• The bio-degradable waste must be processed, treated and disposed of through composting/bio- methanation within the premises. The residual waste should be given to the waste collectors or agency as asked by the local authority.
• Developers of SEZ, industrial estate, industrial park must earmark minimum of 5% of the total area of the plot for recovery and recycling facility.
• All manufacturers of disposable products like tin, glass, plastics etc or brand who owners who come out with such products need to provide necessary financial assistance to local authorities to establish waste management system.
• Industrial units using fuel and that are located within 100 km from solid waste based RDF plant would make arrangements within 6 months from the notification date of these rules to replace minimum 5% of their fuel requirement by RDF so produced.
• In hilly areas, special provision has been made for management of solid waste.

Applicability of Solid Waste Management Regulations

It shall apply to all urban local bodies, census town as declared by the registrar general and census commissioner, notified areas, notified industrial townships, area controlled by the Indian Railway, airports, ports, defense establishments, SEZs, state and central govt. organizations, place of pilgrimage, religious and historical significance and to all domestic, educational, commercial and other non-residential solid waste generators located in the areas except industrial waste, hazardous waste, chemicals, bio-medical waste, e-waste, lead-acid batteries and radioactive waste covered under separate rules framed under Environment (Protection) Act of 1986.

Procedure to apply for Solid Waste Management Authorization

Please note that every person who indulges in waste management activity such as solid waste management needs to take authorization from the pollution control board. They are required to get a prior approval from the state pollution control board or pollution control committee by making an application in Form I. The Pollution Control Board shall examine the proposal for authorization and make inquiries as deemed fit, on receipt of the application for it in Form I from the local body or any agency authorized by the local body and can issue the authorization in 60 days time in Form II to the local body or to the operator of the facility or any other agency authorized by the local body laying down the compliance criteria and environmental standards as mentioned under Schedule I and II including any other conditions, as required.

The State Pollution Control Board or the pollution control committee monitors environmental standards and adherence to conditions mentioned under Schedule I and II for waste processing and disposal sites.

Documents required for Solid Waste Management Authorization

The following documents are required:

• Authorized Signatory Aadhar Card;
• PAN Card of the Authorized Signatory;
• GST Certificate;
• Proof of ownership of site or rent/lease agreement;
• Factory license/trade license;
• Electricity bill;
• Layout plan;
• Process flow chart;
• Details of the machinery installed.

Validity and Renewal of the Solid Waste management Authorization

The authorization shall be valid for 2 years initially and after that for a period of 5 years on subsequent renewals. An application for renewal can be made in Form 4 before 60 days of expiry and the state PCB or the pollution control committee can renew after examining each case. 

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