Rs 25,000 Fine If You Carry Garbage Without Permission In Your Vehicle
Mumbai residents and vehicle owners face a sharper cleanliness penalty regime after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation notified a revised fine framework on February 3, 2026. The updated Solid Waste (Management and Handling), Cleanliness and Sanitation Bylaws, 2025 list 21 offences and introduce steeper penalties for issues such as construction debris violations, waste burning, and unauthorised garbage transportation.
Under the new framework, penalties range from Rs 200 to Rs 25,000 depending on the offence. The highest fine, Rs 25,000 per vehicle, applies to transporting construction or demolition waste without a valid permit. Dumping such debris at unauthorised locations attracts Rs 20,000 per vehicle. Burning waste in large quantities or for commercial purposes has been set at Rs 10,000.
The bylaws also tighten penalties for common public-space violations. Spitting in public places will now cost Rs 250. Throwing garbage on roads, footpaths, lanes, gardens, or other public spaces carries a Rs 500 fine.
Washing clothes, utensils, or other items in public areas will be penalised at Rs 300, while washing vehicles in public places draws a Rs 500 fine. Open urination and open defecation are set at Rs 500 each. Feeding animals or birds in public places attracts a Rs 500 fine, and open bathing in public areas carries a Rs 300 penalty.
Waste segregation is another focus area. Households that fail to segregate wet and dry waste will be fined Rs 200 for the first offence. Bulk waste generators will face a Rs 1,000 penalty. Not handing over dry waste separately also results in a Rs 200 fine.
Vendors and hawkers who operate without garbage bins, or fail to segregate waste, will be fined Rs 750. Improper disposal of fish, poultry, and meat waste also attracts a Rs 750 penalty. Event organisers who fail to restore cleanliness within four hours of an event ending risk forfeiture of their cleanliness deposit, as per the BMC.
Other penalties include Rs 500 for not keeping premises clean, Rs 1,500 for larger premises, Rs 200 for improper disposal of garden waste and tree trimmings, Rs 500 for not cleaning drains outside homes, and Rs 1,000 if pet animals soil public places.
The Rs 25,000 penalty is aimed squarely at illegal handling of construction and demolition waste, a chronic problem in a city with constant redevelopment and renovation activity.
Debris often gets moved in tempos and trucks and dumped in open plots, mangroves, or along roadsides, which adds sanitation pressure and increases flooding risk during heavy rains. By making the cost of getting caught far higher, the BMC appears to be trying to deter repeat violations.
Announcing penalties is the easy part. Applying them consistently is harder. Past cleanliness drives have often suffered from patchy enforcement, limited manpower, and uneven awareness.
The new framework also does not spell out how repeat offenders will be tracked or whether fines will escalate for repeated violations. The cleanliness deposit mechanism for event organisers is practical, but it mostly applies to organised events with permissions, not informal gatherings.
For vehicle owners, the key detail is that the Rs 25,000 fine applies to construction and demolition waste, not routine household garbage. Even so, small home renovations can blur the line between what residents think is “minor waste” and what the rule treats as regulated debris.
If the BMC wants compliance rather than conflict, it will need a clear, accessible permit process and consistent on-ground enforcement. Without that, the rules risk becoming another tough announcement that struggles to translate into everyday behaviour change.