Govt to roll out four-bin waste system across urban bodies from April 1

Patna: Starting April 1, residents, institutions, hotels, markets, and commercial establishments across all municipal bodies in the state will come under a tough new waste management regime. The reason: The state is implementing the national Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, notified by the Centre in Jan, marking a major shift from the earlier 2016 framework.Under the new rules, every waste generator must segregate household and institutional garbage into four separate streams at source: Wet biodegradable waste such as kitchen scraps, dry recyclables like plastics and paper, sanitary waste including diapers and pads, and domestic hazardous waste like expired medicines, batteries and bulbs. Sanitation workers will now have the power to reject unsegregated waste outright, putting the primary responsibility on citizens and bulk generators rather than municipal authorities alone.The Bihar govt, along with urban local bodies, is preparing to roll out the changes with launch of awareness campaigns and infrastructure support. Bulk Waste Generators (BWGs) — entities producing 100kg or more of wastes per day — will be required to take primary responsibility by setting up their own compost units for wet wastes and Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) for dry wastes.To strengthen garbage collection in 375 sectors of the six circles of the Patna Municipal Corporation area, 225 new vehicles will be purchased. Currently, the PMC has 373 closed tippers and 150 CNG tippers, of which approximately 327 vehicles are functioning smoothly. The new vehicles will include 150 closed tippers and 75 open tippers, which will be equipped with colour-coded bins.Municipal commissioner Yashpal Meena said the civic body has already started ground-level preparations. “Four-compartment bins have already been installed in door-to-door collection vehicles, and awareness campaigns, including animated videos explaining the new four-bin system, will be screened at VMD (variable message display) screens across the city. Bulk waste generators are being encouraged to either establish their own processing units or collaborate with authorised agencies for collection,” he said.According to the PMC, around 50% of residents segregate waste into two categories, solid and wet waste, as per the old rule. Awareness campaigns are also going on for source segregation in four categories.Collected waste will be transported to the garbage transfer stations in all six circles, where four colour-coded bins will be set up: The green bin will be used for wet biodegradable waste, the blue bin will contain dry recyclables, the red bin will hold sanitary waste, while the black bin will be for domestic hazardous waste.The segregated waste will then be transferred to the Ramachak Bairiya processing plant, which has composting pits for wet waste, an MRF for dry recyclables, and a bio-medical waste plant for sanitary and hazardous waste. This system is expected to considerably reduce pressure on the existing landfill and make its remediation much easier.Patna mayor Sita Sahu said for waste disposal there are nine plants at the landfill site at Ramachak Bairiya, including seven for legacy waste, and one each for MRF (material recovery facility) and fresh waste. “On the instruction of the urban development and housing department, a survey was conducted last year in Feb at the dumping site. In the survey, it came out that there are around 13 lakh tonne of legacy waste, of which 3 lakh tonne have been disposed of, while work has been going on to reduce the remaining mounds of garbage,” she said.D K Shukla, chairman of the Bihar State Pollution Control Board, highlighted the gravity of the new framework: “Preparation is essential because the Supreme Court has given clear directions on this matter. What was earlier viewed as a mere violation of duty will now be treated as a criminal offence. For far too long, we followed a casual approach where nothing substantial was done — garbage kept piling up and proper disposal and recycling remained neglected.“After April 1, all panchayats, urban local bodies, and other institutions across the state are now expected to build proper infrastructure for collection, segregation, processing, and scientific disposal. In case of any violation, the board will also take action, impose penalties, and officers failing in their duties will also face punishment,” Shukla told TOI on Monday.Authorities have warned that non-compliance will no longer be viewed as a simple oversight. The Supreme Court has laid down a clear three-tier enforcement system across the country, which Bihar will follow.Initial violations will attract immediate spot fines. Repeated disregard for the rules can lead to criminal prosecution under environmental laws. In the most serious cases, action will extend to everyone involved — including officials who fail to perform their supervisory duties.