AHMEDABAD: If you live in a large residential colony, this may interest you. New rules, expected to come into effect this Oct, aim at active participation from larger housing societies and commercial complexes in solid waste management. This means Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) will not collect waste from these premises.
According to the draft rules, a residential society or commercial building with a floor area of over 20,000 sq m, water consumption of more than 5,000 litres a day or solid waste generation of 100kg, will be classified as a bulk waste generator (BWG) and required to take steps for waste management. The rules promote decentralised waste processing methods like composting, vermicomposting and bio-methanation, aiming to reduce the burden on centralised facilities and landfills. Currently, large townships, hotels, and clubs are required to manage their waste.
A senior official in AMC said, “The central govt has announced draft rules. Once implemented, the rules will apply to larger societies and commercial complexes, which will have to set up waste management systems and AMC will not collect waste from these premises. Currently, there are around 100 bulk waste generators who process their waste on their own, including townships, clubs, educational institutes etc.”
According to sources, AMC’s spending for door-to-door waste collection in 2024-25 was Rs 315 crore, an amount that will increase by 5% every year.
Sandip Patel, director of a leading waste management company, said, “To combat the 31 million tonnes of unmanaged solid waste plaguing India’s rural and urban areas, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) has notified the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2024, which will come into force from Oct 1, 2025. It covers the management of plastic, paper, glass, metals, sanitary and organic waste etc. Entities such as railways, airports, bus depots, multiplexes, hotels, educational institutions, and residential societies are now required to process wet waste at the source. They must register on a centralised portal to report their dry and wet waste generation and management. Additionally, BWGs must submit annual returns, which will be verified by urban local bodies. The regulations also incentivise home composting, fostering a culture of waste management at the individual and household levels.”
According to sources, municipal waste management regulations date back to 2000, with a significant overhaul in 2016. However, the groundbreaking 2024 rules transformed solid waste management by reinforcing circular economy principles and strengthening monitoring, registration, and enforcement mechanisms.
