In a meeting held on Monday, the civic authorities directed officials from the Solid Waste Management (SWM) department to examine the legal requirements for proposed changes to the SWM by-laws. The BMC’s plan to impose a user fee for solid waste collection, however, has faced strong opposition from political parties and social activists. Activists have called for scrapping the proposed fee until a scientific and equitable model is developed.
Under the SWM Rules 2016, the Central Government has authorised municipal bodies to charge a ‘user fee’ to improve waste management services. Waste generators will be required to pay this fee, as specified in the bye-laws of local bodies. On Monday, SWM officials presented the proposed revisions to Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani at the civic headquarters, discussing changes to the SWM by-laws and their implementation. While no final decision has been made, the civic body is reviewing the legal framework for amending the by-laws, considering potential objections, according to a civic official.
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. Activist Nicholas Almeida also expressed concerns, stating that taxpayers are already burdened with additional levies, yet basic civic services remain inadequate. Vinod Gholap from the Fight for Right Foundation added that the BMC should first improve waste collection services before imposing any such fee. Activists have demanded scrapping the proposed fee until a fairer model is developed and the abolition of redundant cesses like the Municipal Education and Employment Guarantee Cess, calling for greater fiscal transparency and accountability in BMC operations.
Worli MLA Aaditya Thackeray voiced his opposition on 'X', questioning why Mumbaikars should pay for the BMC's obligatory duties and criticising the BMC’s waste collection services over the past two years. Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad, president of the Mumbai Regional Committee, also opposed the fee, stating that waste collection and disposal is an obligatory duty of the BMC under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888. She criticised the fee, arguing that Mumbaikars are already struggling with inflation and price rises, and pledged that the Congress would strongly oppose the imposition of any user fee for garbage collection.
The BMC has not yet decided the exact amount, but it is considering a fee of about Rs. 100 for residential units up to 500 sq ft, and between Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 for larger properties. This fee will be added to the property tax bill and will help improve waste collection, recycling, and disposal in the city.
