The Assam Pollution Control Board (APCB), in collaboration with the Press Information Bureau, Swachh Bharat Mission officials and urban and rural local bodies, held a regional press conference in Guwahati on September 28 to discuss the implementation of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026. The meeting focused on improving compliance across Assam and increasing public awareness of waste segregation at source.

The SWM Rules, 2026, came into force on April 1, replacing the 2016 rules. Under the new framework, segregation at source is mandatory, with waste required to be separated into four categories: wet waste, dry waste, sanitary waste and special care waste.

APCB Chairman Arup Kumar Misra said the conference aimed to support implementation at every urban and rural local body in the state. He also highlighted the need for public participation, noting that household waste could be converted into useful resources when it was properly segregated and managed.

Implementation of the rules is being monitored by the Supreme Court through its proceedings in Bhopal Municipal Corporation v. Dr Subhash C. Pandey and Others, Civil Appeal No. 6174 of 2023. In an order dated February 19, the court directed that its instructions apply nationwide and assigned District Collectors responsibility for overseeing municipal solid waste systems in their jurisdictions.

The court also directed local bodies to set timelines for achieving 100 per cent compliance and conduct infrastructure audits. Pollution Control Boards were asked to expedite infrastructure for four-stream segregation and inform bulk waste generators about the rules, while legacy dumpsites were to be addressed through separate, time-bound action plans.

In a subsequent order dated August 18, the court reiterated that responsibility for solid waste management rests with all contributors. District Collectors were instructed to identify bulk waste generators and explain the consequences of non-compliance. The court further stressed the participation of elected representatives and accurate accounting of generated, processed and unaccounted waste. The APCB said its immediate priority was to implement the rules at the grassroots level across Assam.