BMC proposes user fee for garbage collection in draft sanitation byelaws

MUMBAI: The BMC on Monday unveiled its draft cleanliness and sanitation byelaws for 2025, which include a user fee for the daily collection of solid waste from individual flats. Under the proposed bylaws, residences with a built-up area (BUA) of up to 50 square metres will face a monthly fee of ₹100, while those with a BUA of between 50 sqm and 300 sqm will incur a charge of ₹500. For houses exceeding 300 sqm in BUA, the fee will be ₹1,000 for waste collection.

The Solid Waste Management (SWM) user fee will also be levied on commercial establishments, guesthouses, restaurants, clinics, laboratories, godowns, offices, small and cottage industry workshops, cold storage units, marriage halls, festival halls, exhibitions and fair areas.

The proposal to impose a user fee for solid waste, mentioned by civic chief Bhushan Gagrani in the budget document of February 2025-26, finally got the green signal from the BMC’s legal department this month. The BMC aims to generate a revenue of ₹600 to 700 crore from this, said Kiran Dighavkar, deputy municipal commissioner (SWM). The CAG’s audit report released a couple of days ago also mentions the SWM user fee.

The 2025 draft byelaws have increased penalties for littering, spitting, bathing in the open, urinating, defecating as well as defecation by pets and feeding animals and birds in public places. The BMC has doubled the fine for littering and defecation by pets from ₹500 to ₹1,000, and even washing vehicles in public spaces will now invite a fine of ₹500. Another significant addition to the byelaws is a provision to levy a fine of up to ₹20,000 for construction waste and debris.

Dighavkar said that the penalties for civic offences were imposed 19 years ago in 2006 and were proposed to be increased only now. The BMC had introduced a revised set of SWM byelaws in 2024, replacing the earlier 2006 regulations. The update introduces a structured user fee model, enhances citizen responsibilities, and stricter penalties for non-compliance.

The cleanliness and sanitation byelaws of 2006 mainly focused on waste collection and removal, with limited attention to waste minimisation. In contrast, the 2025 draft byelaws have a comprehensive approach that integrates waste reduction, segregation, transportation and disposal. The byelaws emphasise accountability for stakeholders, encourage public participation, and clearly define citizens’ responsibilities.

The 2006 byelaws included general littering restrictions but lacked strong enforcement. The new draft byelaws mandate shopkeepers, vendors, and hawkers to maintain cleanliness around their premises. Littering from vehicles is banned and penalised through surveillance, while improper waste disposal will incur graded fines.

The 2006 byelaws primarily assigned the responsibility of waste collection and disposal to the BMC. The 2025 proposed byelaws clarify the roles of both waste generators and the municipal body. Bulk waste generators, such as large residential societies and commercial complexes, have to now process waste on site, clearly categorising wet, dry, and hazardous waste. The BMC will collaborate with recycling agencies.

The rules encourage biodegradable waste to be composted at source, cutting transportation costs. Housing societies and large establishments must establish decentralised waste processing units, while special provisions ensure the safe handling and disposal of hazardous waste.

To ensure cleaner public spaces, the BMC has established dedicated teams to monitor compliance in high-traffic areas. Violators may also face community service.

The civic body has invited suggestions and objections from April 1 to May 31,2025. Submissions can be made via email to BMC.swmbyelaws2025@gmail.com or in writing at SWM head office. The draft byelaws copy is on the BMC website.