The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has approved new Solid Waste Management bye-laws that make monthly user charges and penalties mandatory for waste generators across residential, commercial and industrial establishments in Lutyens’ Delhi. The rules were approved at a council meeting on Monday and will be notified by the Union Home Ministry. Residential properties will pay Rs. 100 a month for plots up to 50 square metres, Rs. 200 for plots up to 200 square metres and Rs. 300 for larger plots. Street vendors will be charged Rs. 200 monthly, while commercial establishments will pay Rs. 800 and commercial offices, banks and educational institutions will pay Rs. 3,000. Fees for hospitality and healthcare establishments will range 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 surcharge will apply when payments remain overdue for more than 30 days. Spot fines will range 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. An unlicensed event involving more than 100 people will attract a Rs. 15,000 penalty, while bulk waste generators such as resident welfare associations, hotels and restaurants will face monthly default fines of Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 74,000. A separate Rs. 50,000 penalty will apply for failing to establish in-situ waste processing facilities. Industrial units breaching Refuse Derived Fuel substitution requirements and manufacturers failing to meet extended producer collect-back obligations can face penalties of up to Rs. 0.15 mn. Waste generators must separate wet, dry, sanitary and special care waste at source using green, blue, red and black bins. The NDMC can recover unpaid dues as land or property tax arrears. Contracts and schemes involving Rs. 0.1 mn to Rs. 40 mn in expenditure, executed up to August, were also presented for statutory review.