Bengaluru’s 'Garbage Tax' starts today – Check SWM user fee based on property size

Starting April 1, Bengalureans will have to pay a mandatory Solid Waste Management (SWM) user fee as part of an initiative to improve waste collection and disposal across the city.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has made it compulsory for all property owners to contribute towards waste management, with fees collected alongside property tax. The city aims to generate ₹685 crore through this initiative in the current fiscal year, The New Indian Express reported.

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User fee based on property size:

The SWM fee is determined by the built-up area of residential properties:

Up to 600 sq ft: ₹10 per month

600–1,000 sq ft: ₹50 per month

1,000–2,000 sq ft: ₹100 per month

2,000–3,000 sq ft: ₹150 per month

3,000–4,000 sq ft: ₹200 per month

Above 4,000 sq ft: ₹400 per month

BBMP marshals equipped with point-of-sale machines will facilitate the collection of these fees. Bulk waste generators who do not follow in-situ waste processing will have to pay an additional ₹12 per kilogram of waste. However, those implementing in-situ composting will receive a rebate of ₹3 per kilogram.

To enhance Bengaluru’s waste management infrastructure, ₹1,400 crore has been allocated to Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML). Among the key projects planned is the establishment of 27 transfer stations to manage black spots across the city, the report added.

A material recovery facility with a processing capacity of 1,226 metric tonnes per day (MTPD) will be set up at a cost of ₹104 crore. Additionally, a 50 MTPD Bio-CNG unit will begin operations, along with a 300 MTPD plant in collaboration with the Gas Authority of India Limited.

Four biomethanisation plants and an 8 MTPD animal waste rendering and incineration facility are also part of the plan.

Three sanitary waste processing facilities, each with a 25 MTPD capacity, will be set up. A pilot project in partnership with the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering and Technology will establish a 5-tonne-per-day plastic and e-waste processing unit.

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