Panaji: Goa has mandated four-way segregation of waste at source for households and commercial establishments, replacing the traditional wet-and-dry system, as the directorate of municipal administration (DMA) moves to implement the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026.Director of municipal administration Brijesh Manerkar said the new system would apply across urban local bodies (ULBs) and panchayats, with residents required to segregate waste into wet, dry, sanitary and special-care categories.Under the new rules, wet waste includes organic kitchen and food waste; dry waste covers recyclable non-biodegradable materials such as paper, plastic, cardboard, glass and metal; sanitary waste includes diapers, sanitary pads and tampons; and special-care waste comprises hazardous items such as batteries, expired medicines, CFLs and fluorescent lamps, chemicals and sharp objects.“Scientific disposal requires that special care waste and sanitary waste be treated separately,” Manerkar said, adding that local body personnel and safai karmacharis had undergone capacity-building and training to handle segregated waste.The new framework also places additional responsibilities on bulk waste generators (BWGs). Establishments with a built-up area of 20,000sqm, daily water consumption of 40,000 litres and daily solid waste generation of 100kg or more will be classified as BWGs.BWGs must scientifically process their organic wet waste on their premises and hand over the remaining three categories to local bodies in segregated form. They are also required to register on the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) portal.“Of an estimated 715 identified bulk waste generators across Goa’s urban local bodies, 300 have already completed their online portal registration,” Manerkar said.BWGs that cannot process wet waste on-site will have to obtain certification from their respective local authorities to use municipal waste-processing facilities.Appealing to residents to stop roadside dumping, Manerkar said municipal ward councillors and panchayat members had been tasked with conducting grassroots awareness campaigns to ensure compliance at the household level.Measures to support implementationRRR centres | Reduce, Reuse and Recycle centres will operate across all 14 municipal bodies to collect reusable and recyclable household itemsSwachhata app | Residents can use the Citizen Grievance App to report illegal dumping and uncollected waste by uploading photographsAwareness drive | A statewide campaign will educate residents about the new four-way segregation and collection systemPenalties | Violations will attract penalties if warnings are ignored
