New guidelines for bulk waste generators issued

March 18, 2024 06:58 pm | Updated 06:58 pm IST - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

The Local self government department has issued strict new guidelines for bulk waste generators in handling waste. All the local bodies are required to classify bulk waste generators within their area, as per the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016. The rules stipulate that any establishment which produces an average of 100 kgs of waste material per day can be classified as a bulk waste generator.

As per this, many government and private institutions, hospitals, educational institutions, hotels, commercial establishments, markets, religious institutions, stadiums and similar establishments would come under the classification. The guidelines stipulate that the local bodies have to ensure that such bulk generators segregate the waste generated and have their own facilities like biomethanation or composting to process the biodegradable waste. The non-biodegradable waste can be handed over to the agencies contracted by the local bodies.

The bulk generators should have container facilities for segregated storage of biodegradable, non biodegradable waste, with the sizes proportional to the amount of waste produced. Waste generators who do not have facilities to process biodegradable waste need to enter into contracts with private agencies involved in waste processing, with the waste generators bearing the cost for processing.

Gated communities and institutions spread out over an area of 5,000 square metres should ideally have a waste processing of their own. Government and private institutions should designate one of their employees to handle waste management-related issues and inform the local body about the same. Enforcement squads formed at the district level two years ago have been asked to carry out periodic checks at bulk waste generating facilities to ensure that these have functioning waste processing facilities. Fines as stipulated by the Kerala Municipality Act and the Kerala Panchayati Raj Act will be imposed on violators.