Delhi: NDMC approves new waste rules, fixes monthly charges and spot fines

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has approved new Solid Waste Management bye-Laws, making monthly user charges and penalties mandatory for waste generators across residential, commercial and industrial establishments across Lutyens’ area, officials said on Tuesday.

The bye-laws, which were approved in the council meeting on Monday and will be notified by the Union Home Ministry later, state that residential properties will be charged Rs 100 per month for plots up to 50 square metres, Rs 200 for those up to 200 square metres and Rs 300 for plots larger than 200 square metres.

According to the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, local bodies can levy user fees on waste generators in accordance with their own bye-laws.

The civic council has also decided that street vendors will pay Rs 200 a month, while commercial establishments will be charged Rs 800 and commercial offices, banks and educational institutions will be charged Rs 3,000.

The monthly fee for hospitality and healthcare establishments ranges from Rs 3,000 for unstarred hotels, small restaurants and clinics with up to 50 beds to Rs 7,400 for five-star hotels, shopping malls and party lawns. A 10 per cent late payment surcharge will apply if the dues remain unpaid for more than 30 days, the council’s new rules state.

The bye-laws also provide for spot fines ranging from Rs 500 for littering, dumping waste from vehicles and failing to segregate domestic waste to Rs 7,500 for open waste burning, improper construction waste dumping and unsegregated commercial waste.

A fine of Rs 15,000 will be imposed for holding an unlicensed event involving more than 100 people. Bulk Waste Generators, including resident welfare associations, hotels and restaurants, will face monthly default fines ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 74,000. A separate penalty of Rs 50,000 has been prescribed for failure to set up in-situ waste processing facilities.

Industrial units violating Refuse Derived Fuel substitution requirements and manufacturers failing to comply with extended producer collect-back systems can face penalties of up to Rs 1.48 lakh.

The bye-laws require waste generators to segregate garbage at source into four categories – wet, dry, sanitary and special care waste – using green, blue, red and black bins, respectively.

The NDMC can recover unpaid user charges and penalties as arrears of land or property tax under the NDMC Act, 1994, officials said.

Contracts and schemes involving expenditure of between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 4 crore executed up to August were also placed before the council for statutory review.