Mumbai: BMC is considering a monthly charge on each residential flat in bulk waste generator (BWG) housing societies that obtain an exemption from processing wet waste on their premises and hand it to the civic body, even as it seeks to enforce the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026.The monthly charge would cover processing costs under the Extended Bulk Waste Generator Responsibility framework. A civic official said the proposed levy would differ from a routine user fee and reflect bulk generators’ responsibility to ensure waste processing. The proposal has not been finalised.Mumbai generates around 7,000 tonnes each of solid waste and construction and demolition waste. BMC spends nearly Rs 3,500 per tonne on solid waste management, comprising about Rs 2,500 for collection and transport and Rs 893 for processing, officials said.“Under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, premises qualify as bulk waste generators if they have a floor area of at least 20,000 sq m, consume at least 40,000 litres of water daily or generate at least 100 kg of waste a day. Meeting any one threshold is sufficient,” said a senior BMC official. “A bulk waste generator must ensure its waste is managed responsibly. Wet waste should be processed on-site as far as possible; where that is not feasible, the bulk generator can meet its obligation through the prescribed certificate mechanism.”But before taking any step towards the levy of charges, BMC will have to inform BWGs about “consequences” for non-compliance with SWM Rules, including temporary disconnection of water or electricity supply until their waste handling conforms to guidelines, the official said.BMC is also working on verification mechanisms to ensure that waste processing claims are backed by records of quantities generated, collected and processed. The framework is aimed at improving compliance and easing pressure on the city’s waste management infrastructure.State environment minister Pankaja Munde was briefed on the proposal during a visit to BMC headquarters earlier this week to review waste management projects.Rajkumar Sharma of Chembur-based Advanced Locality Management and Networking Action Committee questioned BMC’s proposal to charge citizens for waste processing. “The department is called solid waste management, yet it says it cannot manage the waste generated in the city. BMC claims it is processing waste, and the byproducts are also being put to use. So why should citizens be asked to pay processing charges?” he asked.Sharma, who is also a member of the six-member court-appointed panel monitoring conditions at Deonar dumping ground, suggested that BMC should instead create a model to compensate bulk generators that process waste and encourage more establishments to treat their own waste.
