Guwahati: Hotels, hospitals, shopping malls and large residential complexes across Assam could face disconnection of electricity and water supplies if they fail to comply with the state’s strengthened solid waste management requirements.
The warning came during a joint press briefing organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Assam Pollution Control Board (APCB) and Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) on Monday, as officials outlined the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026.
The new rules, which came into force in April and superseded the 2016 framework, place the responsibility for processing waste on waste generators themselves, with penalties for non-compliance.
APCB chairman Arup Kumar Mishra outlined the legal provisions and the progress of implementation in Assam.
“Effective waste management cannot be left to pollution control authorities alone, and requires coordinated action by local bodies, institutions and citizens,” he said.
The new framework places particular emphasis on Bulk Waste Generators (BWGs). These include commercial establishments, institutions or residential layouts that have a floor area of at least 20,000 square metres, consume 40,000 litres of water a day, or generate 100 kg or more of solid waste daily.
The category covers major educational institutions, hotels, hospitals, market complexes, stadiums, hostels and banquet halls in Guwahati.
Under the rules, bulk waste generators are required to register on a centralised online portal, process wet waste on-site through composting or biomethanation, and maintain digital records. They must also file annual returns by June 30 under the Extended Bulk Waste Generator Responsibility (EBWGR) system.
Officials referred to recent Supreme Court directions in the nationwide waste management case, Bhopal Municipal Corporation v. Dr Subhash C Pandey & Ors.
In its August 18 order, the Supreme Court directed District Collectors to identify every bulk waste generator in their respective jurisdictions within six weeks.
The court also directed that non-compliant units face immediate disconnection of water and electricity supplies until they submit an official compliance certificate and the compliance is verified.
For ordinary citizens and smaller entities, the 2026 rules mandate segregation of waste at source into four streams: wet waste, including kitchen and other biodegradable waste; dry recyclable and non-recyclable waste; sanitary waste; and special-care waste such as expired medicines, electronic bulbs and batteries.
The rules prohibit the disposal, burning or burial of solid waste in public spaces, roadsides, drains and water bodies. Residents are required to hand over segregated waste only to authorised collectors.
The briefing also addressed Assam’s legacy waste and overflowing municipal dumpsites.
Under Rule 15 of the new framework, all existing dumpsites in the state must be geographically mapped and assessed by October 31, paving the way for time-bound biomining and land bioremediation.
Local bodies have also been barred from dumping fresh waste at legacy sites undergoing remediation. Municipalities are required to establish functional Material Recovery Facilities and enforce landfill restrictions on wet and construction waste.
Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) mission director Sabyasachi Kashyap outlined measures being implemented in Assam’s urban areas, including efforts to promote a circular economy based on reducing, reusing and recycling waste.
He also pointed to the setting up of Compressed Bio-Gas facilities in five key cities in Assam through public-private partnerships with Oil India Limited to convert waste into energy.
The APCB and Swachh Bharat Mission called on citizens, businesses, local bodies and bulk waste generators to participate in implementing the new framework, stressing that compliance would be monitored from waste generation through final processing.