BHUBANESWAR: The state government notified the roles and responsibilities of Bulk Waste Generators (BWGs) in line with the Centre’s newly-enforced Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules 2026, making it mandatory for all new entities to establish processing facilities for waste management in a decentralised manner. In case of non-compliance, environmental compensation will be imposed on the BWGs concerned as per prescribed norms, the government said. The Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) has asked Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) authorities to create awareness among bulk waste generators and ensure effective implementation of the new provisions across the state.
The new SWM Rules, which came into effect from April, introduced specific roles and responsibilities for bulk waste generators for the first time. In a recent communication to the H&UD department, the OSPCB said BWGs will be required to register themselves mandatorily with their respective urban and rural local bodies through a centralised online portal to be developed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Until the portal becomes operational, local bodies are required to sensitise eligible entities regarding their obligations under the new Rules and maintain records of such establishments.
As per the Rules, buildings with a floor area of 20,000 square metres or above or establishments consuming 40,000 litres of water per day or entities generating 100 kg or more solid waste daily qualify as BWGs. The category includes government offices, educational institutions, hospitals, hotels, malls, industrial establishments, hostels, stadiums, residential societies and other large facilities. The rules mandate four-stream segregation of waste into wet waste, dry waste, sanitary waste and special care waste.
The OSPCB has stressed that BWGs must ensure that segregated waste is handed over only to authorised collection agencies. Further, new BWGs have been directed to establish and operate facilities for processing wet waste generated within their premises. Horticulture waste generated within their campuses is also required to be managed in a decentralised manner.
