Himachal Pradesh State Policy on Solid Waste Management (Urban) :

Solid waste management represents one of the greatest challenge present before the state of Himachal Pradesh, as the state pushes towards development. In the state’s pursuit for economic and social development, the Government of Himachal Pradesh gives due priority to environmental aspects in line with its commitment to pursue sustainable development. The Urban Development Department in its pursuit of an effective state-wide solid waste management system presents this state policy which would enshrine the general principles, ways & means through which the menace of Solid waste in urban areas, could be tamed effectively.

The goal of effective MSWM (Municipal Solid Waste Management ) services is to protect public health, the environment and natural resources (water, land and air). An effective MSWM service can be achieved only by improving the efficiency of MSWM activities, thereby leading to the reduction of waste generation, separation of MSW and recyclable material, and recovery of compost and energy.

Objective of Policy:

The objectives of this Urban Solid Waste Management policy are:

a. Providing directions for carrying out the waste management activities (collection, transportation, treatment and disposal) in a manner, which is not just environmentally, socially and financially sustainable but is also economically viable.

b. Establishing an integrated and self-contained operating framework for MWSM, which would include the development of appropriate means and technologies to handle various waste management activities.

c. Enhancing the ability of ULBs to provide effective waste management services to their citizens.

Vision :

The vision of State SWM policy is that Urban Cities of State to become totally clean, sanitized, healthy, and livable, ensuring and sustaining good public health and environmental outcomes for all citizens, in line with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. To equip cities of Himachal Pradesh with efficient, environment friendly and sustainable waste management system with complete safe collection, transportation, treatment & disposal facilities and achieve the service benchmarks.

Goal :

• 100% Door to Door collection and Source Segregation.
•  Efficient collection and safe transportation of wastes generated in the cities.
•  100% treatment and scientific disposal facility and cost recovery·
•  Better awareness among the urban population and community·
•  mobilization participation.
• Capacity Enhancement and Optimization of the human resources in SWM. 
• Strengthen the existing bye-laws for better regulation and user charges·
• Encourage PPP in developing integrated Solid Waste Management on Regional/cluster Approach.
• Developing solid waste treatment/disposal facilities for individual ULBs which cannot be covered under cluster based approach.  
• Finally achieve 'zero' waste cities in Himachal Pradesh.

 Guiding Principles of the policy :

The principles, which govern the future approach to provision of MSWM (Municipal Solid Waste Management) services, include the following:

a. Sanitation will be treated as a basic service: The State Government shall create opportunities and provide necessary support through which, all citizens can have access to sanitation services as their basic entitlement.

b. Increased awareness of the collective goal of sanitized cities: The causal linkages of sanitation with public and environmental health need to be made more explicit to citizens, communities and institutions. In addition to the provision of facilities, sustained improvements in the quality of life are 18 possible when supplemented by hygiene and behavior change.The State will aim to generate demand for safe sanitation, especially among the un-served households. Citizens, communities, institutions, and cities as a whole will be encouraged to play an active role in both behavior change towards safe sanitation, and ensuring the adoption and use of safe technology to protect the environment.

c. Institutional roles, responsibilities and capacity development: The policy will focus on progressive articulation in policy and law followed-up by operations that are in line with the spirit of the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1994. Devolution of functions, funds and functionaries will need to be progressively ensured to the ULB with adequate support for building planning, and management capacities. The quality of city sanitation planning will depend upon the vibrancy of sub-city representative institutions that draw on civil society to ensure active citizen engagement.

d. Provision of enabling legislation for effective and efficient control and management of environmental sanitation of urban areas.

e. Promoting recovery of value from solid waste, developing treatment and final disposal facilities, which, while adhering to the statutory requirements, are sustainable, environmentally friendly and economical.

f. Minimizing multiple and manual handling of waste, and designing a system to ensure that MSW does not touch the ground till treatment and final disposal Defining the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders and putting in place an operating framework, which would include appropriate contractual structures Developing systems for effective resources utilisation and deployment.

g. Promoting recovery of value from MSW; developing treatment and final disposal facilities, which, while adhering to the statutory requirements, are sustainable, environmentally friendly and economical. Stakeholder Involvement. MSWM depends, as much upon organisation and co-operation between households, communities, NGOs and ULBs, as it does upon selection and application of appropriate technical solutions for various waste management activities.

h. ‘Polluter pays’ principle, which basically means that the producer of goods or items should be responsible for the cost of preventing or dealing with any pollution that the process cause, will be adopted and applied to the extent practicable.

i. Emphasis on operations and maintenance of sanitation infrastructure: One of the key reasons for poor sanitation infrastructure as well as high capital expenditure on sanitation is the lack of operations and maintenance of existing sanitation infrastructure. ULBs will be responsible to ensure that existing sanitation infrastructure is maintained at adequate operational levels, either through official funds, or in partnership with the private sector.

j. Integrating broader environmental concerns in the provision of urban sanitation service delivery: The environment (land, air, and water resources) must be considered in all development activities for sanitation provision and management. All planning and implementation will seek to ensure that adverse risks to public health and the environment are adequately minimized at all stages in the sanitation chain –containment, collection, transportation or conveyance, treatment and re-use or disposal. Appropriate protection of the environment shall be applied, including prosecution under the law as required. The State Government will prioritize those cities that directly or indirectly affect rivers or river basins in the state due to discharge of untreated domestic wastewater for setting up pollution abatement systems.

Implementation Plan:  

In accordance with the implementation of above activities, the State has already formulated a State Level Municipal Solid Waste Management Action Plan in the year 2017 and actions accordingly are being taken to improve the SWM( Solid Waste Management Plan) situation in the State.