RAS question
The Solid Waste Management Rules 2026, notified in January 2026, mandate a four-stream segregation system. Which of the following correctly identifies all four streams?
Correct answer: (D) Wet, Dry, Sanitary, Special Care.
The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 mandate source segregation into four streams: wet waste, dry waste, sanitary waste and special care waste.
Explanation
The PIB release on the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 states that four-stream segregation of solid waste at source has been made mandatory. The four streams are wet waste, dry waste, sanitary waste and special care waste. This is why option D is the precise match: wet and dry waste remain the broad daily categories, while sanitary waste and special care waste are separated because they need distinct handling. The rules come into full effect from 1 April 2026. The same release also links the new framework to online tracking of the solid waste management process and environmental compensation under the Polluter Pays principle, but the MCQ is testing the segregation streams themselves.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Plastic and metal are not separate mandated streams in the PIB description; they are examples within dry waste, while sanitary and special care waste are missing.
- (B) Biodegradable, non-biodegradable, hazardous and e-waste do not match the four streams named for the SWM Rules, 2026: wet, dry, sanitary and special care waste.
- (C) Green, blue, red and yellow are colour labels, not the four waste streams specified in the PIB release for source segregation under the 2026 rules.
Concept
This tests environmental governance under waste management rules, especially how statutory rules convert policy principles into operational duties. It recurs in RAS because solid waste links urban administration, pollution control, public health and local-body responsibilities.