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Big B to promote using city compost produced from municipal solid waste in new campaign
NEW DELHI: The Urban Development Ministry plans to promote the initiative of using City Compost produced from municipal solid waste.
This will be done through a multi-platform communication campaign commencing soon featuring megastar Amitabh Bachchan.
In this context, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu who also holds the Information and Broadcasting portfolio spoke to Bachchan to convey his gratitude for agreeing to be the face of the Ministry’s new communication campaign.
Bachchan is expected to appeal to all citizens, nursery owners and horticulture agencies to pledge to use only city compost in their gardens, farm houses and public gardens.
Additionally, he will be making an appeal to bulk waste generators like educational institutions and hotels to set up decentralized composting equipment in their respective premises and encourage the citizens to segregate organic waste for further composting.
India currently produces over 1.54 lakh Metric Tonne of solid waste per day, 50% of which comprises of organic waste that can be converted into compost & gas; 30% is inorganic waste, which can be converted into energy. India has the potential to produce 54 lakh Metric Tonne of compost per annum from waste. Compost, produced organically from waste, are free of harmful chemicals and serve to provide carbon and primary / secondary nutrients to soil and increases its water retention capacity. Composting imitates nature’s way of rebuilding soil by encouraging the decomposition of organic substances. Besides being the cheapest method of disposing organic wastes, composting is eco-friendly, since it prevents production of harmful greenhouse gases (especially methane) and toxic material that pollutes groundwater apart from polluting the environment.
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Maharashtra revokes Ola, Uber, Rapido bike taxi licences
Temporary e-bike taxi permits cancelled as firms fail to meet state rules
MUMBAI: Maharashtra’s roads are set to see fewer zipping two-wheelers after the state government pulled the plug on provisional licences granted to bike taxi giants Ola, Uber and Rapido. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik announced in the Legislative Council on Monday that temporary permissions would be revoked.
“These companies were given permission for just a month and were required to submit certain documents. Since they have not complied, their temporary licences are cancelled. This is to ensure illegal bikes do not operate on our roads,” Sarnaik said.
The move follows the Maharashtra E Bike Taxi Rules 2024, designed to generate employment for local youth and offer commuters a cheaper, greener ride option. The rules, approved in August 2024, allow electric bike taxis in cities with over one lakh residents.
Under the policy, only electric vehicles can ply as taxis, and operators had 30 days to fulfil licensing and compliance requirements. Yet, officials claim many continued operations without meeting these conditions. Sarnaik added that a large number of bike taxis currently running in Mumbai and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region are illegal.
In a firm enforcement twist, the government has instructed authorities to focus on vehicle owners rather than riders when registering cases. Safety concerns, particularly for women passengers, and accident complaints have also been flagged by the transport department.
Since April 2024, Regional Transport Offices have taken action against 130 non-compliant bike taxis, collecting fines exceeding Rs 33 lakh. Authorities say further measures will follow to ensure services adhere to regulations before returning to city streets.
Maharashtra’s bike taxi saga has been a rollercoaster. Initially banned in January 2023 due to concerns over private vehicles ferrying passengers, the sector was later formalised through an electric bike framework in 2024. Provisional licences were granted in 2025, but the government now warns that any bike taxi operating on city roads without proper permits will be considered illegal.
Adding to the transport shake-up, the government has also halted the issuance of new auto rickshaw permits from March 9 to ease urban traffic pressures and safeguard livelihoods of existing drivers. A fresh standard operating procedure for future permits is set to go before the state cabinet soon.
Maharashtra commuters may have to find alternative rides as the state reins in its two-wheeled taxi revolution, leaving app-based bikers in a legal limbo.
