TMC plans to impose garbage tax

After several failed attempts to reduce the garbage, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has finally proposed charging the citizens for the amount of garbage generated by them in the form of garbage tax, an additional tax which will be levied from 2009.

The proposal will be placed for approval in the general body meeting in a fortnight.
Around 600 tonnes of waste, both wet and dry is generated in Thane on a daily basis.

Officials from the civic body stated that the increase in population and residential areas has resulted in an increase in the amount of garbage.

Additional garbage has prompted the need of additional infrastructure for its disposal, which requires financial resources.

“With the amount collected from the garbage tax, we can purchase the infrastructure for the Solid Waste Management department,” said an official from Solid Waste Management department of TMC on condition of anonymity.

The corporation aims to earn Rs3.16 crore annually from the tax collected from every household on a monthly basis.

The Solid Waste Management department spends around Rs65 crore annually for all its functions and according to the officials they expect at least 10 percent rise in the
expenditure every year.