The Government will come out with revised rules on waste management by July 15. The Hazardous Waste Management Rules, 2015 have been finalised. This apart, the drafts of rules for plastic waste management, bio-medical waste management and e-waste management — for the year 2015 — are also being worked out.
Emphasising on the importance of segregation of waste, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar admitted that only 15 per cent of the waste gets separated as organic and unorganic waste. Much of the domestic waste either gets into the water or remains on the surface in the form of a landfill on the outskirts of a city, he said.
Javadekar was addressing a consultation with stakeholders on Waste Management Rules, 2015 on Friday. In keeping with the commitment of the Government to provide clean air, clean water, clean environment, clean energy and more greenery, Javadekar said that segregation of waste should start at the source and the aim is to achieve 100 per cent waste segregation over the period of next four years.
Though it is an uphill task to achieve, it is not impossible, he said. He pointed out there is a need to build up awareness on the issue. Government will assist municipal authorities in training sweepers on how to deal with the disposal of biomass, he said.
The waste management rules have not been revised for years. However, this time, the Minister claimed to be revising the rules with public consultation. “With new technologies, we will make waste management more effective to change the face of the country within five years. That’s how we will achieve Swachchh Bharat,” the Minister said. In a bid to encourage more public participation, the current draft rules are being posted online and inviting opinion of the common man. Rules are of no use without the participation of common man, he said.
He further suggested that waste management should be incorporated as part of school curriculum as it is easy to teach children as compared to elders, adding that he would speak to the HRD Ministry in this regard.