NEW DELHI: Manufacturers of condoms and products like diapers, sanitary pads/napkins and tampons in India will now have to give out pouches or wrappers with each pack for their proper disposal.
The environment ministry on Tuesday made the provision mandatory under its new solid waste management rules, keeping in mind the reluctance of ragpickers to handle used sanitary pads, diapers and condoms if not wrapped.
Under the rules, manufacturers, brand owners and marketing companies are also expected to educate the masses on proper disposal of the products. The economics and modalities of providing pouches or wrapping material for 'sanitary waste' will be worked out under the 'extended producer responsibility' concept. The rules define 'sanitary waste' as "comprising used diapers, sanitary towels or napkins, tampons, condoms, incontinence sheets and any other similar waste".
The new rules will be implemented across the country by local civic authorities, which have also been empowered to charge a 'user fee' from bulk waste generators and impose a 'spot fine' for littering and non-segregation of wastes at source. Bulk waste generators include new gated townships, group housing societies, institutions, resident welfare as well as market associations, hotels, restaurants and event management companies, among others.
Though the rules came into force on Tuesday, local authorities and 'panchayats' of all census towns and urban agglomerations have been given a six-month window to prepare a solid waste management plan in keeping with the state policy. Local bodies in-charge of areas with a population of one million or more will have to set up solid waste processing facilities within two years.
"This (the new rule) is in conformation with the 'extended producer responsibility' concept, where the producer will also be responsible for managing the end waste of the product," environment minister Prakash Javadekar said. He explained how the new rules made provisions to integrate ragpickers and waste-dealers (kabadiwalas) into a 'formal' system.
"All ragpickers across the country will be registered. They will also be provided training on disposing of all kinds of waste in a scientific manner so that it cannot affect their health," he added.
Noting that burning solid waste leads to air pollution, the minister said, "Burning of solid waste and biomass is a crime now, and will be dealt with severely under the Environment Protection Act."
The jurisdiction of the new rules has for the first time been extended beyond municipal areas to cover all urban agglomerations, notified industrial areas, census towns, areas under the control of Indian railways, airports, airbases, ports, defence establishments and even places of religious/historical importance.
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