District collectors to enforce Solid Waste Management Rules

The Environment Ministry has delegated powers to district collectors nationwide to oversee and implement the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, following a Supreme Court directive.

The Environment Ministry has delegated powers to district collectors across the country to supervise, administer, and implement the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, within their respective jurisdictions.

The move comes in compliance with directions issued by the Supreme Court in an order dated May 5.

''The central government hereby delegates the powers vested in it under section 5 of the Act (Environment Protection Act, 1986) to all the district collectors across the country for a period of one year,'' the ministry said in a notification issued on Tuesday.

Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, says that the Centre can, ''in the exercise of its powers and performance of its functions under this Act, issue directions in writing to any person, officer or any authority and such person, officer or authority shall be bound to comply with such directions''.

The Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026, came into effect on April 1. These rules overhauled the framework for garbage management by urban and rural local bodies.

The new rules seek to promote garbage reduction, reuse and processing at-source, while reducing dependence on large landfills and dumping sites.