New Delhi: The government plans to make open burning of agricultural waste punishable with a heavy fine and empower sanitation workers to impose penalties on individuals and establishments for unsegregated waste.
It is also focusing on improving waste management practices in rural areas, creating a robust monitoring system, and addressing legacy waste.
According to the draft Solid Waste Management Rules 2024 issued on December 9, the local body will be required to ensure there are no instances of "burning of agriculture and horticulture waste and levy heavy penalty on persons involved".
Objections and suggestions from stakeholders have been invited. The rules will come into force on October 1 next year. The Centre last month doubled the fine for farmers burning crop residue in view of poor air quality in the Delhi-NCR region in winter months.
Farmers with less than two acres of land now have to pay environmental compensation of Rs 5,000, up from Rs 2,500. And those with land between two and five acres are fined Rs 10,000 instead of Rs 5,000.
Unfavourable meteorological conditions combined with vehicular emissions, paddy-straw burning, firecrackers, and other local pollution sources contribute to hazardous air quality levels in Delhi-NCR during late autumn and winter.
Major factors behind stubble burning include the paddy-wheat cropping system, cultivation of long-duration paddy varieties, mechanised harvesting that leaves standing crop stubble in the field, labour scarcity, and the lack of a viable market for crop residue.
Studies estimate that during peak burning periods, farm fires contribute up to 30 per cent of PM levels in the Delhi-NCR region and surrounding areas. The government seeks to "empower safai karamcharis to levy fines/penalty on unsegregated waste and to refuse collection".
The draft rules require waste to be segregated into four distinct categories: wet waste, dry waste, sanitary waste (such as diapers and sanitary napkins), and special care waste (including hazardous materials). In contrast, the 2016 rules only required segregation into three streams -- biodegradable, non-biodegradable, and hazardous.
According to the draft rules, local bodies will be required to implement digital tracking systems and geo-tag waste management facilities. They will be responsible for developing and maintaining online portals for reporting waste management data.
