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.
