Page 68 - NIS English 1-15 June, 2026

Cover Story

Years
of Vikas Yatra

Capacity Expansion Ac-

Under the leadership of Prime Minis- companied by Stricter
ter Narendra Modi, the government has Regulations
The Central Government has notified the
demonstrated that development and en-
Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules,
vironmental conservation can go hand in
2026, which will supersede the Solid Waste
hand. Reforms in environmental laws have Management Rules, 2016. These rules
led to both improved regulatory compli- have come into full force effective April
1, 2026. The rules include a provision for
ance and greater ease of doing business.
levying environmental compensation based
on the ‘Polluter Pays Principle.’ Under the
Railway Line Electrification... Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, the
Saving 178 Crore Liters of Diesel Annually segregation of waste into wet waste, dry
waste, sanitary waste, and special care waste
has been made mandatory.
46,900
km Solid Waste Processing
Increases 5-Fold
21,801
km
16% 80%

Post-Indepen- 2014-2025 2014 2026
dence to 2014
Fuel Savings
3.61 lakh bio-toilets have been installed in railway FASTag has reduced waiting times at toll
passenger coaches since 2014, whereas only 9,587 plazas from 12 minutes to less than 47
were installed between 2004 and 2014.
seconds; thanks to this modern system, fuel
savings are resulting in annual savings of
Homes Lit Up by Solar Energy approximately ₹1,500 crore.
Solar systems have been installed in 36.88 lakh households
under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana as Ethanol Blending Increases 13-Fold
of April 30, 2026. The installed capacity under the scheme
has reached 10.77 GW. Subsidies amounting to ₹19,480 1.5
2014
crore have been disbursed.
₹6.17
150.26 GW per unit (kWh)
20%
2026

₹2.15
per unit (kWh)
2.82 13 of India’s beaches have received the
GW ‘Blue Flag’ certification—an accolade
2014 March 2026 2014-15 2024-25 awarded for excellence in cleanliness,
Installed Solar Energy 65% Reduction in environmental conservation, safety,
Capacity Increased 53-fold Solar Energy Tariffs and superior tourism amenities.

66 NEW INDIA SAMACHAR || June 1-15, 2026