Effective February 3, 2026, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has implemented the Solid Waste Management and Handling, Cleanliness and Sanitation By-laws 2025. These rules define 21 specific
offences aimed at maintaining cleanliness in Mumbai, with fines ranging from ₹200 to ₹25,000. In case of public events, organisers must restore cleanliness within four hours of an event’s conclusion or risk losing their cleanliness deposit. If an individual is unable to pay the fine, they may be required to perform at least one hour of community service, such as sweeping or cleaning graffiti.
What are the rules?
The Solid Waste Management and Handling, Cleanliness and Sanitation By-laws 2025 are a comprehensive set of regulations enacted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to overhaul Mumbai’s waste management and public hygiene standards.
The new by-laws establish a legal framework for maintaining city-wide cleanliness. Key components include:
Mandatory Segregation: Every waste generator (households, offices, etc.) must separate waste into six categories: wet, dry, domestic hazardous, biomedical, garden, and construction debris.
21 Defined Offences: Specific penalties for public nuisances like spitting, littering, open urination, and improper pet waste disposal.
Responsibility of Bulk Generators: Large residential societies and commercial complexes are now legally required to process their own biodegradable waste on-site.
The list of BMC’s 21 new offences
| Offence Category | Violation | Fine Amount (₹) |
| Public Nuisance | Spitting in public places | ₹ 250 |
| Open Urination | ₹ 500 | |
| Open Defecation | ₹ 500 | |
| Open Bathing in public areas | ₹ 300 | |
| Washing vehicles in public | ₹ 500 | |
| Washing utensils/clothes in public | ₹ 300 | |
| Feeding animals/birds in public | ₹ 500 | |
| Pet animals soiling/pooping in public | ₹ 1,000 | |
| Waste Management | Littering (garbage on roads/footpaths) | ₹ 500 |
| Non-segregation of waste (Households) | ₹200 (1st offence) | |
| Non-segregation of waste (Bulk generators) | ₹ 1,000 | |
| Not handing over dry waste separately | ₹ 200 | |
| Hawkers/Vendors without dustbins | ₹ 750 | |
| Improper disposal of fish/meat waste | ₹ 750 | |
| Burning waste (Commercial/Large scale) | ₹ 10,000 | |
| Improper disposal of garden/tree waste | ₹ 200 | |
| Premises & Construction | Not keeping premises clean (General) | ₹ 500 |
| Not keeping premises clean (Large areas) | ₹ 1,500 | |
| Not cleaning drains outside houses | ₹ 500 | |
| Illegal dumping of debris (per vehicle) | ₹ 20,000 | |
| Transporting debris without permit | ₹ 25,000 |
Who made the new rules?
BMC’s Solid Waste Management Department drafted the by-laws under the guidance of Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani and Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr. Ashwini Joshi.
The public was invited to provide feedback before the rules were finalised. The regulations aim to align local practices with the national Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
