**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Unstarred Question No. 2296 in Lok Sabha, to be answered on February 12, 2026, regarding unsegregated household waste. It outlines the Government's approach, emphasizing that sanitation is a state subject governed by the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026. These rules place the responsibility for waste management infrastructure on local bodies.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Regulatory Framework**
* Sanitation falls under state jurisdiction.
* Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, are the governing regulations.
* **Responsibilities of Local Bodies**
* Local bodies must develop and establish infrastructure for segregation, collection, storage, transportation, processing, and disposal of solid waste.
* This can be done independently or by engaging agencies.
* **Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) Initiatives**
* The Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) supports States/UTs by providing policy direction, financial and technical support through Manuals/Standard of Procedures (SoPs) on Solid Waste Management.
* MoHUA issues advisories and guidelines for selecting appropriate technologies for solid waste management.
* **Report on Circular Economy**
* A report on "Circular Economy in Municipal Solid and Liquid Waste" published in June 2021 by MoHUA focuses on wastewater and municipal sludge, identifies challenges, and highlights policy framework gaps.
* **SBM-U 2.0 Used Water Management (UWM)**
* SBM-U 2.0 includes Used Water Management (UWM), focusing on septic tank desludging, Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), and Interception and Diversion (I&D) structures for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) with less than 1 lakh population.
* **Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)**
* MoHUA is implementing AMRUT for sewerage and septage management in ULBs with more than 1 lakh population to make them ‘self-reliant’ and ‘water secure’.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder:** State Governments / Union Territories
**Impact:** Responsible for sanitation policies and implementation.
**Action Required:** Implement Solid Waste Management Rules, collaborate with MoHUA for support.
**Stakeholder:** Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)
**Impact:** Accountable for waste management infrastructure development and operations.
**Action Required:** Develop infrastructure for segregation, collection, storage, transportation, processing, and disposal of solid waste.
**Stakeholder:** Sanitation Workers
**Impact:** Involved in waste collection and handling.
**Action Required:** To follow protocols and guidelines set by local bodies for waste management.
**Stakeholder:** General Public
**Impact:** Affected by the effectiveness of waste management practices.
**Action Required:** Promote segregation of waste at source and participate in local waste management initiatives.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA): The central ministry responsible for urban development, sanitation, and related programs.
Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026: The regulatory framework defining responsibilities for solid waste management including segregation, collection, storage, transportation, processing and disposal of solid waste.
Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U): A national mission to improve sanitation and waste management in urban areas.
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT): A national mission focused on providing basic services like water supply, sewerage, urban transport, and parks to improve the quality of life for all, especially the poor and the disadvantaged.
Urban Local Bodies: Local government bodies responsible for providing civic services within urban areas; play a key role in implementing waste management and sanitation initiatives.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2296
TO BE ANSWERED ON FEBRUARY 12, 2026
UNSEGREGATED HOUSEHOLD WASTE
NO. 2296. SMT. POONAMBEN HEMATBHAI MAADAM:
Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS be
pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is taking steps to empower
sanitation workers to reject unsegregated household waste,
if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government has identified the challenges faced
by the Urban Local Bodies for the safe reuse of treated
sludge, including issues related to moisture content,
pathogen presence; and
(c) if so, the details thereof along with the steps proposed to
address these challenges?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE
MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
(SHRI TOKHAN SAHU)
(a) to (c): Sanitation is a state subject. As per the new Solid
Waste Management Rules, 2026 notified by Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change, it shall be the responsibility of the local
bodies to develop and set up infrastructure for segregation,
collection, storage, transportation, processing and disposal of the
solid waste either on its own or by engaging agencies.
…2/--2-
Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), through Swachh
Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U), supplements the efforts of
States/UTs by providing policy directions, financial and technical
support by sharing Manuals/Standard of Procedures (SoPs) on Solid
Waste Management and issue various Advisories & Guidelines time
to time for choosing appropriate technologies to manage solid
waste.
A report on ‘Circular Economy in Municipal Solid and Liquid waste’
published in June, 2021, by MoHUA focuses on wastewater and
municipal sludge and other related issues, and highlights current
scenario, identifies key challenges, gaps in policy framework &
regulations.
Under SBM-U 2.0 Used Water Management (UWM) has been added
as a new component with scope of procuring septic tank desludging
equipment, setting up of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs)/ STP-
cum- Faecal Sludge Treatment plants FSTP, for used water
treatment, laying Interception and Diversion (l&D) structures
including provision of pumping stations and pumping main/gravity
main upto STP, etc for ULBs with less than 1 lakh population.
MoHUA is also implementing Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and
Urban Transformation (AMRUT) to deal with sewerage and septage
management as well as making cities/statutory towns ‘self-reliant’
and ‘water secure’, in ULBs with more than 1 lakh population.
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