Delhi MCD to collect monthly fee for garbage collection: Check rates by home size

Homeowners in Delhi will now have to pay a monthly fee for door-to-door garbage collection, a service that was free until now. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will collect the new user charge along with property tax. Charges will range from Rs 50 to Rs 200 per month depending on property size. This move comes seven years after the Solid Waste Management Rules were implemented in the city.

What Delhi residents will pay

The MCD has fixed the monthly charges based on the size of the residential property:

• Up to 50 sq m: Rs 50
  
  
• 50–200 sq m: Rs 100
  
  
• Above 200 sq m: Rs 200
  
  
• Street vendors: Rs 100
  
  

This will result in an additional annual cost of Rs 600 to Rs 2,400 for homeowners.

Higher fees for commercial users

Commercial establishments and institutions will pay higher annual charges:

• Shops and eateries: Rs 500
  
  
• Guesthouses and dharamshalas: Rs 2,000
  
  
• Restaurants with more than 50 seats: Rs 3,000
  
  
• Hotels (3-star and above): Rs 5,000
  
  
• Clinics and labs with 50+ beds: Rs 4,000
  
  
• Banks and coaching centres: Rs 2,000
  
  
• Marriage halls: Rs 5,000
  
  
• Small-scale industries with hazardous waste: Rs 3,000
  
  

The MCD expects to earn up to Rs 150 crore each year through these charges.

Political reaction

The new fee has led to political opposition. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has objected to the move. “Arbitrary,” the party said, arguing that the user charge has not been approved by the municipal House. Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi wrote to the MCD Commissioner questioning the legality of the decision.

Policy background

The Centre had first notified the Solid Waste Management Rules in 2016. The Delhi government adopted them in January 2018. At the time, the plan was opposed by the city’s three municipal bodies, which were under BJP control. The unified MCD is now moving forward with the policy. This decision will affect lakhs of residents across the capital.