The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has intensified enforcement measures against unregistered bulk waste generators (BWGs) across Mumbai following widespread non-compliance with waste segregation and composting regulations.
Civic authorities have instructed officials to ensure immediate registration of all eligible residential and commercial establishments, warning that strict action will be taken against entities failing to comply. The administration has also emphasised that compliance must go beyond registration and include mandatory segregation of wet and dry waste, on-site organic waste processing and disposal of recyclable materials through authorised vendors.
Under the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2000, local bodies are required to ensure scientific waste treatment and establish proper systems for segregation, collection and transportation of waste. However, the BMC’s post-pandemic efforts to enforce on-site waste management among large establishments have reportedly seen limited success.
The rules apply to housing societies and commercial establishments spread across more than 20,000 square metres or those generating over 100 kilograms of wet waste daily. Such entities are expected to process waste on-site or formally hand it over to the civic body.
In 2025, the BMC introduced a dedicated waste collection system for domestic sanitary and special care waste, making it compulsory for BWGs generating such waste in large quantities to register and ensure proper segregation before disposal.
At present, around 17,624 establishments are registered with the civic body. These include housing societies, residential complexes, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, markets, commercial buildings, IT firms, educational institutions, hospitals, banquet halls, and event venues. However, officials said a significant number of eligible entities remain outside the registration framework.
Following a recent review meeting, civic officials directed departments to urgently identify and bring unregistered entities into the system through stricter enforcement where required.
Authorities have also instructed the Solid Waste Management Department to increase public outreach efforts through workshops, awareness campaigns, and expert-led programmes aimed at educating bulk waste generators on compliance requirements and sustainable waste management practices.
The civic body believes that stronger implementation of segregation and composting norms will help improve Mumbai’s waste management system and reduce pressure on landfill sites across the city.
Source: The Free Press Journal
