Air quality management allocation dips 10%, pollution control outlay down 2% in budget 2026-27

Air quality management suffered a nearly 10% dip in outlay under the Union Budget for 2026-27. Allocation to the central pollution control authority dipped slightly by 2%, DTE reported. 

The ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s overall allocation stood at Rs 3,759.46 crore, up 10% from the Budget Estimates for 2025-26. 

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), under the ministry, has been allocated Rs 35.26 crore for the upcoming year, down from the Rs 38.98 crore in the BE for 2025-26. The outlay is, however, a rise from the Rs 31.26 crore in the Revised Estimate (RE) for last year. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) saw an outlay of Rs 123 crore, a marginal dip from Rs 123 crore in BE for 2025-26, but a rise from the RE of Rs 116 crore, the outlet said.

Budget 2026-27: ₹ 20,000 crore to accelerate carbon capture in heavy industry

Budget 2026-27 allocated Rs 20,000 crore to accelerate carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technologies in heavy industry. Investment is aimed at bridging the gap between pilot projects and commercially viable, large-scale systems, DTE reported. 

The move targets sectors like steel and cement, which are crucial for industrial decarbonisation and economic competitiveness, the outlet added.

New waste management rules implement polluter pays principle and defines bulk waste generators

Centre has approved Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026 for processing of waste by bulk waste generators under extended bulk waste generator responsibility (EBWGR), both expanding the definition of bulk waste generators and introducing the polluter-pays concept for the first time, reported the HT. 

The outlet explained that “bulk waste generators include entities with a floor area of 20,000 square metres or more, or water consumption of 40,000 litres per day or more, or solid waste generation of 100 kg per day or more.” In the older solid waste management rules 2016, the bulk waste generator definition did not specify the floor area or water consumption limits of entities. The new rules have a broader definition -- which mean more entities will now be classified bulk waste generators.

The new rules include provisions for  implementation of “polluter pays” principle. Now environmental compensation will be levied on entities carrying out activities without registration; providing false information or ; and submitting forged or manipulated documents. Also, now bulk waste generators will have to register themselves with the concerned local body through a centralised online porta.

The newspaper explained  that the new rules, shift the burden of processing waste from overextended municipal governments to large-scale commercial and residential entities that produce it. If they can’t process it on-site, they must hire professional waste managers and obtain an EBWGR (extended bulk waste generator responsibility) certificate to demonstrate that their waste was handled safely. The new rules will come into effect from April 1 and will integrate the principles of the circular economy and extended producer responsibility.

The 4 categories everyone should sort out waste under new solid waste management rules 2026

As per new solid waste management rules 2026 everyone should sort out trash into four categories: wet waste, dry waste, sanitary waste and special care waste, reported HT. In the 2016 version of the rules, waste was divided into three streams: bio-degradable, non-biodegradable and domestic hazardous waste.

The newspaper explained, wet waste includes kitchen waste, vegetables, fruit peels, meat, flowers, which shall be composted or processed through bio-methanation at the nearest facility.

Dry waste comprises plastic, paper, metal, glass, wood and rubber, etc., and shall be transported to Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) for sorting and recycling.

Sanitary waste includes used diapers, sanitary towels, tampons and condoms, etc., which shall be securely wrapped and stored separately. 

The outlet added that special care waste includes paint cans, bulbs, mercury thermometers and medicines, etc., which shall be collected by authorised agencies or deposited at designated collection centres.

The rules also introduce graded criteria for development around solid waste processing and disposal facilities to facilitate faster land allocation

Lower GST on recyclables to boost green economy: CSE budget study 

The latest study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has found that the current GST structure on recyclable waste has resulted in a "double loss", driving a large share of transactions into informal channels while simultaneously weakening recycling, resource security and industrial competitiveness, reported DTE. the study said lowering GST on recycled materials will boost the green economy and enhance India's transition to a circular economy, benefiting MSMEs and integrating informal waste sectors. The study said this will reduce reliance on virgin materials and protect millions of vulnerable waste workers. the authors pointed out, India's tax system treats recycled materials in the same manner as virgin ones, effectively penalising the very sectors that can drive the country's transition to a circular economy.

Urban sewage is carrying drug-resistant bacteria linked to hospitals: study 

Sewage flowing through Indian cities is carrying pathogenic bacteria linked to hospitals which is causing resistance to commonly used antibiotics such as azithromycin, according to new research reported by DTE. Scientists say traces of antibiotics in drains and sewers are effectively “training” bacteria to evade treatment, raising the risk that widely used drugs will become ineffective. The findings suggest antibiotic resistance is no longer confined to hospitals but is spreading through urban wastewater systems and into rivers. Researchers have warned that weak regulation and poor sewage treatment are worsening the public health risk.

Tackling air pollution could deliver $220 billion economic boost for India, study finds

India could unlock up to $220 billion in economic gains by 2030 through clean air measures, says new study covered by DTE. Cutting air pollution could reduce PM2.5 levels by about 20 per cent and avert major health and productivity losses, the study said linking cleaner air to job creation, with an estimated 1.4 million job transitions and new roles. Air  quality action should be treated as an economic and development priority, said the analysis, The Business Case for Clean Air: Unlocking Economic Opportunities for India, by consulting firm Dalberg Advisors and the Clean Air Fund, estimating that effective action could also avert $85 billion in business losses, cut fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution levels by about 20 per cent, and avoid nearly 10 million disability-adjusted life years every year.