Goa has introduced four-way waste segregation at source for households and commercial establishments, replacing the traditional wet-and-dry system across urban local bodies and panchayats under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026.
The new categories are wet, dry, sanitary and special-care waste, according to Brijesh Manerkar, director of municipal administration. The Directorate of Municipal Administration is implementing the framework across the state, with local authorities responsible for collection, awareness and enforcement.
Wet waste will include organic kitchen and food waste. Dry waste will cover recyclable non-biodegradable materials such as paper, plastic, cardboard, glass and metal. Sanitary waste will include diapers, sanitary pads and tampons, while special-care waste will cover potentially hazardous items such as batteries, expired medicines, CFLs, fluorescent lamps, chemicals and sharp objects.
“Scientific disposal requires that special care waste and sanitary waste be treated separately,” Manerkar said. He added that local body personnel and safai karamcharis had undergone capacity-building and training to handle waste after it has been segregated into the four streams.
The revised system also assigns additional duties to bulk waste generators. Establishments with a built-up area of 20,000 square metres, daily water consumption of 40,000 litres and daily solid waste generation of at least 100kg will be classified as bulk waste generators. They will be required to process their organic wet waste scientifically on their premises and hand over the remaining three categories to local bodies in segregated form.
Bulk waste generators must also register on the Central Pollution Control Board portal. Of an estimated 715 bulk waste generators identified across Goa’s urban local bodies, 300 have completed their online registration, Manerkar said. Establishments that cannot process wet waste on-site will need certification from their respective local authorities to use municipal waste-processing facilities.
The implementation framework places the first responsibility for segregation on waste generators, but also requires local bodies to maintain separate handling arrangements for sanitary and special-care waste. That makes collection practices and worker training central to whether the four-category system works beyond the point of disposal at homes and establishments.
Goa’s municipal bodies will operate Reduce, Reuse and Recycle centres to collect reusable and recyclable household items. Residents will also be able to report illegal dumping and uncollected waste through the Citizen Grievance App by uploading photographs. Municipal ward councillors and panchayat members have been tasked with conducting grassroots awareness campaigns on the new system.
The administration is planning a statewide campaign to explain the four categories and the revised collection process. Violations will attract penalties if warnings are ignored, while establishments unable to process wet waste on their premises will have to secure local-authority certification before using municipal processing facilities.