Mumbai News: BMC Cracks Down On Bulk Waste Generators Over Poor Compliance With On-Site Processing Rules

Eight years after the BMC mandated Bulk Waste Generators (BWGs) to treat waste at source, compliance remains poor. Of 2,609 large residential and commercial BWG establishments, only 784 process wet waste on-site. Another 727 continue to use third-party transport now banned under revised rules while the remaining 1,098 hand over waste directly to the BMC. The civic body has issued a stern warning, directing all BWGs to either process waste on their premises or officially hand it over to BMC.

What Qualifies as a BWG

Establishments that generate more than 100 kgs of waste daily or occupy an area greater than 5,000 sq. meters are classified as BWGs. Last week, the BMC issued a notice directing all BWGs to immediately stop using third-party or external agencies for waste transportation. Establishments were also instructed not to pay any fees to such agencies, as the BMC will now handle waste collection directly.

Review Meeting at BMC Headquarters

Additional Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Joshi chaired a review meeting on Tuesday at the BMC headquarters to assess the compliance status of BWGs across Mumbai. The meeting was attended by Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Solid Waste Management) Kiran Dighavkar, Chief Engineer (SWM) Vinayak Bhatt, and other civic officials.

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Ward-Level Compliance Survey

Joshi directed Assistant Chief Supervisors in each ward to conduct a survey between August 15 and 31 to assess the current status of BWG establishments. The survey will cover the names of BWG establishments, whether waste is processed on-site, the agency handling the processing if applicable, and any fees charged for the service. “Establishments processing waste at source are eligible for property tax concessions under BMC’s incentive scheme. All eligible entities should take advantage of this and help maintain cleanliness in their premises and across Mumbai,” said Joshi.

Special Focus on Sanitary Waste

Meanwhile, the dedicated service for collecting domestic sanitary and special care waste is now mandatory for BWG establishments generating large volumes of such waste. These establishments must register for the service, segregate the specified waste, and hand it over to the municipal corporation. According to Dighavkar, registered entities including housing societies, residential complexes, beauty parlors, women’s hostels, and educational institutions will receive specially designed 'Yellow Dustbins' for collection. Distribution for the same will begin from August 18.