Nagpur: India is tightening the screws on garbage mismanagement. In a major push for cleaner and more sustainable cities, the Centre has rolled out tough new Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026, which will come into force from April 1, replacing the decade-old waste regime.
Notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and informed to the Lok Sabha, the new rules make segregation at source non-negotiable. Waste must now be separated into four mandatory streams, wet, dry, sanitary and special-care waste, putting the responsibility squarely on citizens, institutions and bulk waste generators.
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28 Jan 2026
The overhaul sharply raises the bar for bulk waste generators, which account for nearly 30% of India’s garbage. Entities generating over 100 kg of waste per day, occupying 20,000 sq m or more, or consuming 40,000 litres of water daily, including government offices, PSUs, commercial establishments, institutions and large housing societies, must process waste in an environmentally sound and decentralised manner. Wet waste processing on-site is now the rule, not the exception.
Landfilling, long the default dumping option, has been strictly curtailed. Only non-recyclable and inert waste will be allowed, while higher landfill fees will penalise local bodies dumping unsegregated garbage. The rules also crack down on legacy dumpsites, mandating mapping, assessment and time-bound biomining and bioremediation.
With stronger penalties, tighter compliance norms and a clear push towards reuse, recycling and waste-to-energy, the new SWM Rules aim to slash contamination, boost recycling efficiency and accelerate India’s transition to a circular economy, sending a clear message: dump less, segregate more, or pay the price.
State clears Rs 30.25 crore for Legacy Waste Remediation under SBM 2.0
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of Maharashtra gave administrative approval for release of Rs 30.25 crore fund for Legacy Waste Remediation (LWR) to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) under Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 (SBM 2.0) initiative recently. The Ministry gave the approval during the 20th State-level Technical Committee meeting held last year in October and the Government Resolution (GR) released recently.
As per the approval, out of Rs 30.25 crore, Central Government will provide Rs 7.56 crore, State Government will give Rs 10.58 crore and remaining Rs 12.10 crore fund will be catered by the local body. The fund will be utilised for biomining of 5.50 lakh Metric Ton of legacy waste of Nagpur city. The fund utilisation will be done quickly by e-tendering of process and the technical aspects will be carried out by the local body. The civic body will follow all norms of e-tendering process. Nagpur city has 15 lakh MT of legacy waste in Bhandewadi Dumping Yard in which the biomining of 7.5 lakh MT garbage has already been done, whereas the remaining biomining process will be carried out with utilisation of this fund, informed Rajesh Dupare, Executive Engineer, NMC.
