Mumbai: After receiving approval from its legal department, the BMC will now invite suggestions and objections from citizens regarding the proposed ‘User Fees’ for waste collection in Mumbai. Starting next week, a two-month window will be provided for stakeholders to submit their feedback.
In addition to this, the BMC plans to raise penalties for offenses such as littering, spitting, urinating, defecating etc in public. The civic body expects to generate approximately Rs 687 crore in revenue from the user fee imposed on the 5.9 lakh properties assessed for property tax across the city.
The city generates 6,500 metric tonnes of waste daily. Under the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules 2016, the Central Government has empowered municipal bodies to charge a ‘user fee’ to enhance waste management services. The BMC is in the process of of revising its solid waste bye-laws to incorporate the provisions of the SWM Rules, which mandate the collection of this fee.
According to the newly proposed rules, the BMC suggests monthly user fees for residential units: Rs. 100 for units up to 50 sq m, Rs 500 for units up to 300 sq m, and Rs 1,000 for units larger than 300 sq m. This fee will be added to the property tax bill and will help fund the city’s waste collection, recycling, and disposal programs.
A senior official from the SWM department remarked, “Mumbai currently has the highest per capita spending on waste management in India, at Rs 3,141. Introducing a user fee is a vital step for the BMC to achieve financial sustainability. The plan is to start with commercial establishments and extend it to residential properties.”
Following public hearings and the incorporation of relevant suggestions and objections, the revised draft bye-laws will be presented for consideration in the state legislative assembly. After approval, these changes will amend the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act of 1888, added the official.
Meanwhile, the Godfrey Pimenta of the WatchDog Foundation criticised the user fee structure, calling it arbitrary and unscientific for basing charges solely on residential areas, rather than actual waste generated. He argued that this unfairly burdens middle-class residents, while the BMC fails to collect property tax arrears from protected slum structures.
