Nashik: District Collector Ayush Prasad To Head Solid Waste Management Special Cell

Nashik: A special cell has been constituted for Nashik district to ensure supervision, administration, and effective implementation of Solid Waste Management Rules. District Collector Ayush Prasad will head the cell.

The decision has been taken in accordance with the recent order of the Supreme Court in the case of Bhopal Municipal Corporation vs Dr Subhash C. Pandey and Others, as well as the notification issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) under Section 23 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Accordingly, powers under Section 5 of the Act have been delegated to District Collectors for a period of one year.

In its order dated May 5, 2026, the Supreme Court had directed District Collectors to establish and operationalise a “special cell” for monitoring and enforcement of solid waste management regulations. Following these directions, the special cell has now been activated in the Nashik district.

The Regional Officer of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) will serve as the Member Secretary of the cell. Representatives from the District Collector’s Office, Zilla Parishad, Sub-Divisional Offices, Panchayat Samitis, Nagar Panchayats, and Municipal Councils will also be members of the cell.