Expecting a reward for separating waste? Don't hold your breath!

Societies will have to send details of each day's waste management to the BMC by the fifth of every month. Representation pic

After promising a 15 per cent tax concession for societies which engage in solid waste management, the evaluation procedure that the civic body has come up with will lead to societies getting only a small fraction of the total tax as discount.

"The 15 per cent concession will be offered only on the general component - which varies from 10 to 30 per cent - of the total property tax," said a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official. This effectively means, if the property tax is Rs 100, the general tax component within it will be anything between Rs 10-30. The maximum 15 per cent discount will be given on this component, which would make the highest possible discount come up to Rs 4.5.

The general tax component is decided by various features of the society. The other components of property tax include education cess and sewage management among others. In addition, societies engaging in solid waste management will have to send the BMC an excel sheet by the 5th of every month with waste management details of every day. For those not participating in the exercise, there will be a monthly user fee of Rs 60 to Rs 180 for collection, transportation and disposal of waste.

BMC decided earlier this year to provide discounts on property tax to societies to encourage solid waste management. While the BMC Standing Committee had given approval for the discount - 5 per cent for segregation and zero wet waste, 5 per cent for reducing dry waste by half and 5 per cent for sewer management - on August 22, BMC had not decided on the evaluation procedure. With Diwali over, the scheme will be rolled out soon.

Societies will have to submit applications to the local ward office with details of the waste management being done. An assistant engineer of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) department will be monitoring the process for a month and submit a report to the assistant commissioner.

After the evaluation by a Peer Review Committee - including the assistant commissioner, assistant engineer of SWM, the local Advanced Locality Management (ALM), an NGO, a prominent person from the locality and the Tax Assessment and Collection department - the society will be given the tax benefit from the ongoing financial year. "If the society fails to process the waste for some period, the discount will be reduced. Societies can appeal against the decision of the Peer Review committee by paying a Rs 5,000 fee to the BMC," said a senior officer from the SWM department.

Things to remember

Dry Waste
. Segregated wet, dry and household hazardous waste
. Sell segregated, recyclable waste (which is more than 50 per cent of the total dry waste, excluding unrecyclable, sanitary napkins, diaper, etc) and make sure the waste ends being recycled
. Make entries of everyday waste in a register and send details on an excel sheet by 5th of every month
. Sub/Assistant engineers of the SWM department to monitor the process.

Wet waste
. There should be a specific space for treating waste. If the building is built after 2007, then there should a reserved space for composting. The leftover product after treatment should be disposed of scientifically
. Scheme not available for societies which have hired a third contractor
. Composites, gas or energy generated by the treatment should be utilised in the vicinity or outside the vicinity
. Ward officer must be informed about waste treatment via email

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