Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Bulk waste generators across Assam face utility cutoffs for ignoring state waste rules. Hotels, hospitals, malls, and big residential complexes now bear the burden of processing their own trash. The Press Information Bureau, Assam Pollution Control Board, and Swachh Bharat Mission announced the crackdown on Monday. The move enforces the Solid Waste Management Rules of 2026, which replaced the 2016 framework this April.
Targets include any entity with at least 20,000 square meters of floor space. The rules also apply to sites consuming 40,000 liters of water daily or producing 100 kilograms of solid waste. These institutions must register online, process wet waste on-site, and file annual returns by June 30. Arup Kumar Mishra, chairman of the pollution board, made the stakes clear. He stated, "Effective waste management cannot be left to pollution control authorities alone, and requires coordinated action by local bodies, institutions and citizens."
The state is following direct Supreme Court orders from the Bhopal Municipal Corporation case. The August 18 ruling demands that District Collectors identify all bulk generators within six weeks. Non-compliant units will lose water and power until they provide verified proof of compliance. Meanwhile, regular citizens must now sort trash into four streams: wet, dry, sanitary, and special-care items. Burning or dumping waste in public spaces is strictly illegal.
Local authorities must map all legacy dumpsites by October 31 to prepare for cleanup. New rules block dumping at sites undergoing remediation. Sabyasachi Kashyap of the Swachh Bharat Mission says the state is pushing a circular economy. This includes building Compressed Bio-Gas plants in five cities through partnerships with Oil India Limited.
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