The waste crisis

As India prepares to roll out new solid waste management rules this year in April, will implementation match intent?

- VAISHALI DAR

THANKS TO NEW guidelines, waste management in India will shift toward a circular economy, embedding extended producer responsibility and 'polluter pays' principle into the waste governance structure.

Almost a decade after notification of Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016, the government has unveiled the new regulatory framework: the SWM Rules, 2026 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, bringing them into force from April 1.

The evolution of India's waste regulations, from the early 2000 rules to the 2016 overhaul and now the anticipated 2026 framework have had experts say the challenge is not a lack of policy, but a persistent gap in execution. The coming rules promise sharper accountability and clearer systems, but their success will hinge on two longstanding urban hurdles: source segregation and litter control.