India, Feb. 21 -- The Supreme Court has flagged uneven compliance with solid waste management norms across the country and declared that the present generation cannot afford to wait while implementation gaps persist.

Observing that the right to a clean and healthy environment is inseparable from the right to life, a bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and S V N Bhatti issued a series of pan-India directions to ensure effective enforcement of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, which will come into force on April 1.

In its February 19 order, the court said compliance with municipal solid waste rules remains inconsistent. Though segregation at source into wet, dry and hazardous categories is mandated, it has not been fully realised in man...