Power to you

In the year 1999, after a writ petition filed by environmentalist Almitra Patel, the Supreme Court instituted the Burman Committee, a committee that laid out recommendations for solid waste management in India. In March 1999, it submitted a report titled ‘Solid Waste Management in Class I Cities of India’ to the Court which led to the formation of the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules in the country. The Rules, that were issued in 2000, apply to every municipal authority, which would be responsible for the collection, segregation, processing, transportation and disposal of solid waste.

Here are the salient aspects of the Rules:

• The Rules are divided into four schedules.
• The first schedule comprises deadlines for the setting up and monitoring of waste processing and disposal facilities, and the identification and improvement of landfill sites.
• The second schedule details the various parameters to be considered for the effective management of solid waste. Importantly, it states the following:
• Littering of municipal solid waste is prohibited in cities, towns and in urban areas notified by State Governments.
• House-to-house collection of waste and segregation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste, biomedical and industrial waste and horticultural and construction waste shall be done.
• All biodegradable wastes shall be processed by composting with or without the presence of oxygen, and vermicomposting (or any other appropriate procedure). Recoverable resources shall be recycled.
• The waste put in the landfills shall be restricted only to non-biodegradable waste and other materials not suitable for biological processing or recycling.
• The third schedule lays down the specifications for the selection and utilization of landfill sites. It states that every landfill site shall be large enough to last for 20–25 years and shall be situated away from habitation clusters, forest areas, monuments and national parks. Also, landfills shall be designed to minimize infiltration and erosion.
• The fourth schedule contains details about the processing of waste. It states that to the extent possible, waste storage areas should be covered and in the case of open areas, facilities should be made to collect water or other liquids secreted by the solid waste.

In 2004 however, environmentalist Almitra Patel again filed a writ petition with the Supreme Court due to unsatisfactory compliance of the Rules across all states. She stated the progress made in some states and also laid out some recommendations. The petition stated that waste management cannot be an ‘excuse’ to ‘milk funds’ from the Centre and that states should abide by the Rules. The petition concluded by saying that ‘urgent and immediate action is necessary to ensure compliance in the future’.

To read the text of this petition, click here.