Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) is set to reduce the solid waste management (SWM) cess for industries in the city. Currently, MCC charges Rs 6,000 annually for each 1,000 sqft area. In contrast, Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation charges Rs 1,200, and Mysuru city charges Rs 2,400 for the same area. For spaces between 1,001 and 2,000 sqft, MCC charges Rs 12,000, compared to Rs 2,400 in Hubballi-Dharwad and Rs 4,800 in Mysuru. For areas between 2,001 and 5,000 sqft, MCC’s cess is Rs 18,000, while Hubballi-Dharwad and Mysuru charge Rs 2,400 and Rs 4,800 respectively. For areas above 5,000 sqft, MCC adds 10% extra for each additional 1,000 sqft, whereas Hubballi-Dharwad charges Rs 3,600 and Mysuru Rs 7,200.
The Kanara Industries Association (KIA) had requested that the SWM cess be reduced to Rs 1,500 for up to 1,000 sqft, Rs 3,000 for 1,001 to 5,000 sqft, and Rs 4,500 for areas above 5,000 sqft. Considering this, MCC has decided to align the cess with Mysuru’s rates. However, the official circular is yet to be issued.
Mayor Sudheer Shetty Kannur confirmed that the proposal to revise the SWM cess was approved at a recent council meeting, and the new rates will soon match those of Mysuru. The KIA has long advocated for lower SWM cess, arguing that the high rates in Mangaluru adversely affect small industrial units. The issue was notably raised during an interaction meeting in November 2022.