Operators of municipal solid waste processing, treatment and disposal facilities — material recovery facilities, composting and bio-methanation plants, RDF and waste-to-energy units and sanitary landfills — need authorisation from the SPCB under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, valid for five years, alongside their consents. We prepare the Form I application, coordinate with the urban local body and set up the annual reporting the Rules demand.
Legal basis: Rules 15, 16 and 24 and Schedules I and II of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; EIA Notification, 2006 (Item 7(i)) for common municipal solid waste management facilities
Who needs it
- Private operators and concessionaires running MSW processing plants under PPP or municipal contracts
- Urban local bodies setting up or upgrading composting, bio-methanation or landfill facilities
- Material Recovery Facility and dry-waste collection centre operators
- RDF and waste-to-energy project developers
- Bulk waste generators — townships, campuses, industrial estates — setting up on-site processing above the thresholds
- Construction and demolition waste processing facilities
Common in:Recyclers & Waste ProcessorsReal Estate & Infrastructure
Documents required
- 1Application in Form I with facility type, capacity, technology and site details
- 2Agreement or work order with the urban local body for waste supply and site
- 3Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate
- 4Environmental Clearance for common MSW management facilities covered under Item 7(i)
- 5Site plan showing buffer zone, tipping floor, processing units, leachate treatment and landfill cells
- 6Technology description, process flow and mass balance including rejects and their disposal
- 7Design of sanitary landfill as per Schedule I (liner, leachate collection, gas management, cover)
- 8Compost or RDF quality assurance plan against Schedule II standards
- 9Odour, vector and fire control measures and emergency response plan
- 10Constitution documents, PAN and authorised signatory letter
Missing something? We help you obtain or regularise supporting documents before filing.
How we get it done
- 1
Scoping and applicability
Day 1–5We confirm the facility type, whether Environmental Clearance is needed, and the consent and authorisation sequence for your state.
- 2
Technical documentation
Day 6–20Process design, mass balance, landfill and leachate design and quality assurance plans are compiled against Schedules I and II.
- 3
Form I filing
Day 21–23The authorisation application is filed with the SPCB along with consent applications where not already granted.
- 4
Verification and grant
Day 24–75We support the SPCB verification and queries; the Board is expected to decide within 60 days of a complete application and issues the Form II authorisation.
- 5
Reporting systems
Day 75–90Daily waste receipt records, compost and RDF quality testing, groundwater and leachate monitoring and the annual report cycle are set up.
If you don’t comply
Operating a solid waste processing or disposal facility without authorisation or in breach of Schedule I and II standards is punishable under Section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and SPCBs levy Environmental Compensation on operators and local bodies — the NGT has imposed compensation of hundreds of crores on states for legacy dumpsites and unprocessed waste. Rejects dumped outside a sanitary landfill are a specific and frequently penalised violation.
Why MYDA Group
Specialists, not generalists
Environmental compliance is our only practice, so your file is handled by people who do this every day.
Fixed fee, written scope
You know the professional fee and the statutory fees before we start. No surprise add-ons.
Inspection and audit-ready
We prepare your site and team for the board visit or certification audit and attend it with you.
Lifetime reminders
Every condition, return and renewal goes into your compliance calendar with alerts.
Frequently asked questions
Does our composting plant need Environmental Clearance?
Common municipal solid waste management facilities are Category B projects under Item 7(i) of the EIA Notification, 2006 and generally need clearance from the SEIAA, though smaller decentralised facilities may fall outside the threshold. We check applicability before you commit to a timeline.
What annual reporting applies to the operator?
Under Rule 24 the operator submits an annual report to the local body (by 30 April), which the local body forwards to the SPCB and the state urban development department by 30 June; the SPCB consolidates to CPCB. Your operating records must be ready to support those figures.
What standards must compost and RDF meet?
Schedule II of the SWM Rules sets limits for heavy metals, pathogens and physical parameters in compost and specifications for RDF quality, and compost sold must also comply with the Fertiliser (Control) Order where applicable. Regular third-party testing is a condition of authorisation.
We are a bulk waste generator with on-site composting. Do we need authorisation?
Bulk generators must process biodegradable waste on site but typically do not need SPCB authorisation for small captive units; thresholds and interpretations vary by state and local body bye-laws. We confirm your position and obtain written confirmation where helpful.