Supreme Court orders six-week deadline for states to report waste compliance

The core issue is the implementation of statutory duties for waste segregation and the consequences of non-compliance, including the potential disconnection of utilities.

Who it concerns: The matter involves Bhopal Municipal Corporation as the Appellant and Dr. Subhash C. Pandey & Ors. as Respondents, heard by a Bench of Justice S.V.N. Bhatti and Justice N.V. Anjaria.

What the court decided

• Directed the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee (SCMC) to stipulate a six-week deadline for State/UT Chief Secretaries to report compliance status.
• Directed District Collectors to identify all bulk waste generators (BWGs) within their jurisdictions within six weeks.
• Ordered that BWGs be informed that non-compliance with SWM Rules will result in the temporary disconnection of power or water supply until compliance is achieved.
• Directed the Department of School and Higher Education to integrate theoretical and practical Solid Waste Management knowledge into the curriculum immediately, training students to act as household-level supervisors.
• Mandated that local bodies communicate obligations and consequences to every BWG in writing.
• Set a Case Management Schedule with the next listing date as 17.11.2026.

Also in the document

• The Court explicitly stated that the objective of the order is to transition to self-regulation.
• The Court noted that the 'slow approach' of the Education Department is 'troubling' and directed immediate action.
• The Court directed the SCMC to focus on water pollution from municipal solid waste to rivers and place data before the Court for further directions.