Government notifies new solid waste management rules (SWM Rule 2016)

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) recently notified the new Solid Waste Management Rules (SWM), 2016. These will replace the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, which have been in place for the past 16 years.
These rules are the sixth category of waste management rules brought out by the ministry, as it has earlier notified plastic, e-waste, biomedical, hazardous and construction and demolition waste management rules.


The new rules are now applicable beyond municipal areas and have included urban agglomerations, census towns, notified industrial townships, areas under the control of Indian Railways, airports, special economic zones, places of pilgrimage, religious and historical importance, and State and Central Government organisations in their ambit.

Major highlights of the new SWM Rules, 2016
Segregation at source
The new rules have mandated the source segregation of waste in order to channelise the waste to wealth by recovery, reuse and recycle. Waste generators would now have to now segregate waste into three streams- Biodegradables, Dry (Plastic, Paper, metal, Wood, etc.) and Domestic Hazardous waste (diapers, napkins, mosquito repellants, cleaning agents etc.) before handing it over to the collector.
Institutional generators, market associations, event organisers and hotels and restaurants have been directly made responsible for segregation and sorting the waste and manage in partnership with local bodies. In case of an event, or gathering of more than 100 persons at any licensed/ unlicensed place, the organiser will have to ensure segregation of waste at source and handing over of segregated waste to waste collector or agency, as specified by the local authority.
All hotels and restaurants will also be required to segregate biodegradable waste and set up a system of collection to ensure that such food waste is utilised for composting / biomethanation. The rules mandate that all resident welfare and market associations and gated communities with an area of above 5,000 sq m will have to segregate waste at source into material like plastic, tin, glass, paper and others and hand over recyclable material either to authorised waste-pickers and recyclers or to the urban local body.

Collection and disposal of sanitary waste
The manufacturers or brand owners of sanitary napkins are responsible for awareness for proper disposal of such waste by the generator and shall provide a pouch or wrapper for disposal of each napkin or diapers along with the packet of their sanitary products.
Collect Back scheme for packaging waste
As per the rules, brand owners who sale or market their products in packaging material which are non‐biodegradable, should put in place a system to collect back the packaging waste generated due to their production.

User fees for collection
The new rules have given power to the local bodies across India to decide the user fees. Municipal authorities will levy user fees for collection, disposal and processing from bulk generators. As per the rules, the generator will have to pay User Fee” to the waste collector and a “Spot Fine” for littering and non-segregation, the quantum of which will be decided by the local bodies.   
Also, the new rules have mentioned about the integration of rag pickers, waste pickers and kabadiwalas from the informal sector to the formal sector by the state government.
The rules also stipulate zero tolerance for throwing; burning, or burying the solid waste generated on streets, open public spaces outside the generator’s premises, or in the drain, or water bodies.

Waste processing and treatment
As per the new rules, it has been advised that the bio-degradable waste should be processed, treated and disposed of through composting or bio-methanation within the premises as far as possible and the residual waste shall be given to the waste collectors or agency as directed by the local authority. The developers of Special Economic Zone, industrial estate, industrial park to earmark at least 5 per cent of the total area of the plot or minimum 5 plots/ sheds for recovery and recycling facility.
Waste processing facilities will have to be set up by all local bodies having a population of 1 million or more within two years. For census towns with a population below 1 million or for all local bodies having a population of 0.5 million or more, common, or stand-alone sanitary landfills will have to be set up in three years time. Also, common, or regional sanitary landfills to be set up by all local bodies and census towns with a population under 0.5 million will have to be completed in three years.
Also, the rules have mandated bio‐remediation or capping of old and abandoned dump sites within five years.

Promoting use of compost
As per the rules, the Department of Fertilisers, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers should provide market development assistance on city compost and ensure promotion of co‐marketing of compost with chemical fertilisers in the ratio of 3-4 bags is to 6-7 bags by the fertiliser companies to the extent compost is made available for marketing to the companies. Also, the Ministry of Agriculture should provide flexibility in Fertiliser Control Order for manufacturing and sale of compost, propagating use of compost on farm land, set up laboratories to test quality of compost produced by local authorities or their authorised agencies.

Promotion of waste to energy
In a not-so welcoming move, the SWM Rules, 2016 emphasise promotion of waste to energy plants. The rules mandate all industrial units using fuel and located within 100 km from a solid waste-based Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) plant to make arrangements within six months from the date of notification of these rules to replace at least 5 per cent of their fuel requirement by RDF so produced.
The rules also direct that non-recyclable waste having calorific value of 1500 K/cal/kg or more shall be utilised for generating energy either through RDF not disposed of on landfills and can only be utilised for generating energy either or through refuse derived fuel or by giving away as feed stock for preparing refuse derived fuel. High calorific wastes shall be used for co-processing in cement or thermal power plants.
As per the rules, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Sources should facilitate infrastructure creation for Waste to Energy plants and provide appropriate subsidy or incentives for such Waste to Energy plants. The Ministry of Power should fix tariff or charges for the power generated from the Waste to Energy plants based on solid waste and ensure compulsory purchase of power generated from such Waste to Energy plants by discoms.
Revision of parameters and existing standards
As per the new rules, the landfill site shall be 100 metres away from a river, 200 metres from a pond, 500, 200 metres away from highways, habitations, public parks and water supply wells and 20 km away from airports/airbase. Emission standards are completely amended and include parameters for dioxins, furans, reduced limits for particulate matters from 150 to 100 and now 50. Also, the compost standards have been amended to align with Fertiliser Control Order.
Management of waste in hilly areas
As per the new rules, construction of landfills on hills shall be avoided. Land for construction of sanitary landfills in hilly areas will be identified in the plain areas, within 25 kilometers. However, transfer stations and processing facilities shall be operational in the hilly areas.
Constitution of a Central Monitoring Committee
The government has also constituted a Central Monitoring Committee under the chairmanship of Secretary, MoEF&CC to monitor the overall implementation of the rules.   The Committee comprising of various stakeholders from the Central and state governments will meet once a year to monitor the implementation of these rules.
Way ahead
It will take almost 4-5 years to see the drastic change in how the waste management regimes will work in India. The SWM Rules, 2016 diminish hopes in pushing for adoption of a decentralised mechanism for solid waste management. However, it would be challenging to see how segregation at source shall work on the ground. A massive awareness campaign in association with communities, NGOs, students and other stakeholders needs to be planned to push for better implementation of these rules. The Rules need to focus on making solid waste management a people's movement by taking the issues, concerns and management of solid waste to citizens and grass-roots.



IMPORTANT MESSAGE - To All Dwarka Residents on SDMC



Dear Dwarka Residents,

We have come to know that SDMC has requested few societies/cghs in Sector 22/23 and Sector 6 to dump their garbage in some "Identified Spots". Have you all received any circulars from SDMC to this effect?  Dwarka Forum have not received any such written communication/circular from SDMC.

PLEASE DO NOT FOLLOW THIS VERBAL INSTRUCTION. We would like to update the residents of the following details below: Please go through it carefully.

1. Dwarka Forum has been trying very hard to get SDMC to implement their Ciruclar (attached herewith) on Waste Segregation of Garbage in accordance with Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Rules 2016 (SWM&HR 2016).
 
2. According to this Order - SDMC has to collect daily the segregated kitchen waste for composting (after 3-4 months of rigorous & continuous follow-up and meetings with Commissioners, Mayor & Councillors DF has managed get the Sector 12 Dhalo allotted for composting purposes). The dry waste could be collected every alternate (as there wont be much of it).

3. SDMC had to collect the segregated kitchen waste (4-5 societies were doing 100% segregation, contact details were provided to SDMC) for composting and transport it to the Dhalao daily - Despite repeated requests - SDMC did not collect the segregated waste.

4. SDMC was to circulate this ORDER to each and every Society of Dwarka - Dwarka Forum had helped them in printing more than 300 copies of the order - which they collected and did not distribute.

5. SDMC was to conduct awareness campaign in all societies- Till date they have not done.

6. Despite Dwarka Forum's continuous follow up and support to them SDMC is unwilling to START THE COMPOSTING PROJECT. Dwarka Forum has extended full support - Even old them to chalk out the route map for the segregated kitchen waste from societies -They are reluctant to do any work on this composting project.


7. The composting project started as a pilot project - SDMC is doing all possible ways to STALL IT AND call it a failure.

8. Instead of focusing on the composting project which is THE ONLY OFFICIAL "PILOT PROJECT, SDMC has started creating mess all around Dwarka by telling few societies to dump their garbage in some "selected place" CREATING MORE MESS all around Dwarka.

9. They are doing their best to deviate not to implementing the Composting project & NOT TO DO THEIR WORK.

10. We urge the residents not to follow this dubious direction of SDMC. We request the residents to do the following things:
-Please keep your bins inside the societies - do not keep it on the roads
-If you require additional bins - please request for more bins.
-Segregate the garbage at source - Kitchen waste & dry waste
-Tell your Jamadar to Collect Kitchen waste in separate bins

The segregated kitchen waste has to be collected by the SDMC trucks daily & transported to Dhalao for composting.

By doing all the above - we will make some headway - otherwise all of Dwarka will be a BIG GARBAGE DUMP.

SDMC's job is to clear garbage every day, thats their ONLY JOB. Dwarka Forum has tried and will continue to try and influence everyone - to cut the load of garbage going to the landfill by composting the Kitchen waste which gives you enriching manure to your gardens.



Once again requesting all the residents not to dump the garbage on the roads and keep the bins inside the societies for SDMC trucks to collect it from the gates only.

IF any of the society has received any written communication on the So Called "Pilot project to dump the garbage on some spots" - please email it to us.

As educated citizens let us at least keep our surroundings clean and NOT ONLY YOUR HOMES. Lets do our job responsibly and force SDMC do their job.


----------------------
Team Dwarka Forum

Deployment of Garbage collection Rickshaws in Sector 8 Dwarka

As per the decision taken in the Dwarka Forum meeting with Commissioner, SDMC on 5th July, 2016 and with lots of persuasion with Concerned  Officers by DF team,  SDMC recently deployed few Garbage Collection Rickshaws for door -to - door garbage collection in Residential plotted area of Sector-8, Dwarka.
 

 

Dust Bin Installation by SDMC in Dwarka

Dust Bin Installation by SDMC in Dwarka. In this ocassion SDMC officials and Ward Councillor  Sh. Ramesh Matiala were present .

At Road 201  Green colored bins were found at following stops:
(1) From Dwarka More to Flyover
Dwarka More, Suraj Vihar, NSIT, Sect-3 crossing, DPS, Matiala crossing, Rajapuri & Madhu Vihgar - 8 Nos.
(2) From Flyover to Dwarka More
Madhu Vihar, DPS & Sect-3 crossing - 3 Nos.
Total 11 Nos. could be seen on this stretch.
Dwarka Forum make atleast some success to get these dustbin installed .
Dwarka Forum is in continuous touch with SDMC to get these dustbin installed in whole Dwarka.



Community composting: Low on cost, High on delivery

This is called aerobic composting which is very reasonable in term of cost and workmanship. Through this method, I believe that all the problems surrounding your wet and garden waste can be solved using steel mesh rings with stand and some gunny sacks.

All simple and efficient things evolve with time and effort. It’s neither vendor-driven, nor machine-driven. This method exploits the traditional method of composting to the hilt but customises it perfectly to suit individual needs. While the infrastructure comes at a few thousand rupees, a few hundred rupees is all you spend each month to keep it running. Segregated kitchen waste is collected at the doorstep by a housekeeper in a pushcart. He carries a sack of sawdust in the cart and sprinkles a handful of it on the kitchen waste.



This cuts down the moisture problem significantly. This half-processed waste reaches a roofed compost yard located in a corner. The worker spreads a thick layer of (at least 8-10 inches) dry leaves at the bottom and puts kitchen waste on top of it. This absorbs all the moisture content seeping down from the top layers efficiently. The top portion is always filled with dry leaves to ward off fruit flies, odor, mosquitoes and of course, rodents.
Composting time can be reduced by using activator like butter milk, curd, jaggery etc.


In continuation of Dwarka Forum meeting, Ekta Apartment,DDA SFS,Pocket 1&2, Sector 3,Dwarka gets it first cage from SDMC as a pilot project.

 Thanks team SDMC Najafgarh zone for their support and we are hopefull that in near future problem of horticulture and kitchen waste will be controlled by this small effort.

Councillor (Kakrola) Ms. Shashi Tomar visited locality of Sector -12

Ward 135 Councillor (Kakrola) Ms. Shashi Tomar visited locality of Sector -12 ,Dwarka today.
She planted saplings and management committee of 04 Group Housing societies gave her letter/Charter of demands.
She also spent time with residents and listened about the local issues.
People were very critical about Sanitation.
She ensured fast action and resolutions of the problems.
Dwarak forum team members were also present during here visit.







PRESS RELEASE:Dwarka Forum meeting with SDMC Commissioner Dr. Puneet Kumar Goel ,5th July 2016


Dwarka Forum meeting with SDMC Commissioner Dr. Puneet Kumar Goel

A delegation of DWARKA FORUM (‘DF’) consisting of Ms Madhuri Varshney-President, Shri Arvinder Singh Chhatwal - Vice President, Shri P Menon- Treasurer, Shri P. B. Mishra - Joint Secretary, Ms. Swarna Latha- Member, had a meeting with Dr. Puneet Kumar Goel, Commissioner, South Delhi Municipal Corporation in his Office. Ms Garima Gupta, Deputy Commissioner (Najafgarh Zone) and other Senior Officers were also present.


DF raised their concern regarding sanitation situation in Dwarka, which is getting worse day-by-day and discussed the following issues - Solid Waste Management, Public Toilets, Health (particularly Dengue & Chikungunya epidemic) etc. The members briefed the problem areas and suggested solutions.


DF briefed the Commissioner about door-to-door campaign on garbage segregation and composting in the societies, recent SDMC's order for segregation at source level and offered DF’s support to SDMC Staff in this regard.


DF briefed about the poor sanitary conditions in the entire Dwarka Sub City and requested for such regular meetings. It was also brought to knowledge about the Market Plot of Sector -8, Dwarka occupied by SDMC for more than ten years etc.


All matters were discussed at length. After detailed discussions, the following decisions were taken by Commissioner, SDMC:
  1. 2 nos. of blue bins will be provided to every society. MCD will provide the list of societies where bins are delivered.
  2.  SDMC has placed new order for 200 green bins for next round of distribution.
  3.  SDMC has sanctioned a total of 200 nos. of rotating bins to be placed on roadside/ market/ bus stands. DF will be providing the list where these will be placed/ mounted.
  4. WhatsApp Group – On the Direction of the Commissioner a WhatsApp group has been to get daily update on sanitation.
  5. Awareness on waste segregation will be done though Adv in Daily Newspaper.
  6. The Commissioner confirmed that - Rickshaw with dual bin for segregated waste is available and can be obtained from MCD on demand.
  7. Kitchen Composting – The Commissioner confirmed that SDMC will fund the pilot project for composting.
  8. List of safai karamchari beat wise and route map of trucks for garbage collection will be provided to DF at the earliest.

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