New Delhi: Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has proposed a nearly 50% increase in user charges and penalties under its draft Solid Waste Management (SWM) Bylaws 2026, officials said.However, residents of colonies falling under categories E to H will pay substantially less than those in A to D categories. Officials said the different rates had been proposed to encourage compliance in lower-category colonies.For instance, residential properties measuring up to 50 square metres in A to D colonies will be charged Rs 75 per month, while those in E to H colonies will pay Rs 40. For a 100-square-metre residential plot, the proposed charge will be Rs 150 in A to D and Rs 75 in E to H colonies.“Considering that the SWM rules provide for a 5% increase in user fee and penalty every year since 2018, we are expecting an increase of around 50% in the fee now. But for the colonies in E-H categories, our focus is right now to increase participation,” said an official.However, given the past record, enforcing the charges could prove challenging for MCD. Its earlier attempts to impose user charges across all categories had faced considerable opposition. “The civic body had notified the solid waste management bylaws in 2018, but the user fee was not actively implemented or collected due to political and logistical issues. The charges were eventually linked to property tax payments in April 2025, following which residents opposed the move and questioned the quality of sanitation services,” said the official.Several other cities have also faced similar difficulties. “Cities such as Mumbai, Noida and Gurgaon have not been able to levy these charges fully,” the official said.Officials said MCD was targeting March 2027 for finalisation and implementation of the revised bylaws. The draft bylaws will be first placed before the MCD house and sent for approval to Delhi govt’s urban development department.Colonies are divided into different categories based on property tax rates. Category A colonies include Vasant Vihar, Shanti Niketan, Maharani Bagh, New Friends Colony and Anand Niketan, while category B includes Defence Colony, Nizamuddin East, Greater Kailash, Hauz Khas, Green Park and Safdarjung Enclave.Category E includes residential colonies in older parts of the city and specific extensions such as Chandni Chowk, Kashmere Gate, Khirki Extension, Pandav Nagar and Moti Nagar.
