New waste collection rules to be enforced from April 1, garbage to be collected in four categories

Patna, March 31 (ABN) New guidelines issued for keeping urban areas under municipal corporations in Bihar clean and pollution-free will be implemented from April 1. Institutions generating over 100 kg of waste, such as apartments, hotels, and government offices, will need to install their own waste processing plants. The Urban Development and Housing Department has also issued guidelines for on-site composting of wet waste. According to the Urban Development and Housing Department, this system is being implemented under the new Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, in all municipal corporations. To make the capital city Patna beautiful, clean, and garbage-free, the new rules for door-to-door garbage collection by Patna Municipal Corporation will come into effect from April 1. Now, during household waste collection, residents will need to segregate their waste into four different categories, not just wet and dry as was previously the case. Under this new system, garbage collection vehicles will now be equipped with cabins of four different colors. If waste is not segregated at homes, sanitation workers will not accept it. The primary objective of this initiative is to ensure 100% scientific disposal of waste and protect the environment from pollution. Meanwhile, two new colors are being added to the public sanitation system in the capital. For this, Patna Municipal Corporation is purchasing a total of 225 new vehicles. This will increase the resources of the municipal corporation for garbage collection from all 375 sectors of the city's six circles. Currently, the corporation has 373 closed tippers and 150 CNG tippers, of which around 327 vehicles are operational. To improve waste collection, the corporation is buying 225 new vehicles, including 150 closed tippers and 75 open tippers, all of which are being equipped with new color-coded bins. The new rules will apply not only to the general public but also to large institutions. Institutions with an area of over 20,000 square meters or generating over 100 kg of waste will be considered bulk waste generators, including hotels, apartments, and government offices. They will need to compost their wet waste within their premises. Any institution or citizen failing to comply with the rules or failing to segregate waste will face heavy environmental penalties under pollution laws. For monitoring, the Central Pollution Control Board has also developed an online portal to track the entire waste collection process.