Expressing concern over the high volume of solid waste generated and the lack of civic sense in society, the Supreme Court has issued a slew of directions for its management and disposal, saying the infrastructure for the purpose needs to be scaled up to meet the standards of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026.
The bench was hearing appeals arising from orders of the National Green Tribunal concerning environmental compliance by the municipal corporation under the SWM rules. The Bhopal Municipal Corporation challenged the proceedings relating to its obligations in handling municipal solid waste. Looking at the enormity of the problem, the top court later expanded the scope nationwide.
The infrastructure needs a complete audit and upgradation to meet the extant standards of the SWM Rules, 2026. Directing the SCMC to focus on water pollution from municipal solid waste/material to rivers and place before the court data for further directions, the bench said it is a statutory duty reinforced by Article 51A(g) of the Constitution and inseparable from the right to a clean and healthy environment under Article 21 of the Constitution.
It said, “The volume and complexity of such waste, i.e., biodegradable, non-biodegradable, hazardous, electronic and construction, have outgrown what any single class of workers can be expected to absorb or handle. It said the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee (SCMC) was constituted pursuant to the top court’s earlier direction and it includes several secretaries of the Union government and the secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The top court said every person, household and institution (without exception) generates solid waste as an inevitable by-product of life and activity and the prevailing assumption that solid waste is a problem for sanitary workers alone, while the rest of the population remains passive generators, is neither legally correct nor practically sustainable, and is constitutionally unethical.
The bench said the slow approach of the education department in the matter was slightly unintelligible and troubling the court and the department of school and higher education shall, with immediate effect, integrate both theoretical and practical knowledge on solid waste management for students to train their family members, and also prepare teachers as trainers.
