KP government imposes monthly sanitation fee from October

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has notified a new monthly sanitation fee for urban areas, with collection set to begin in October 2026, according to an official circular cited by two news outlets.

Residential properties will be charged Rs100, Rs150 or Rs200 per month based on plot size. Commercial shops will pay a flat monthly fee of Rs250. Commercial entities, including hotels, petrol pumps, factories and major business centres, will pay Rs1,000 per month.

The circular exempts mosques, seminaries, government schools and other special institutions from the fee, but it does not provide a complete list of exempted institutions beyond these categories, according to the reports.

Provincial officials said the fee is part of a cleanliness drive intended to build a more effective sanitation and waste management system across urban areas. The government has also asked citizens to keep their surroundings clean and to dispose of garbage only at designated places.

ARY News and ProPakistani both carried the notification, and their accounts of the fee structure and exemptions match. Neither report included details on collection methods, enforcement, or penalties for non-payment.

The fee structure sets three residential tiers and two commercial tiers. The highest residential charge of Rs200 applies to larger plots, while businesses classified as major commercial entities pay Rs1,000. The flat shop fee of Rs250 is higher than the lowest residential tier but lower than the highest.

The government has not announced any new service guarantee linked to the fee beyond the stated aim of improving sanitation and waste collection. The circular says the fee will be collected monthly from the start of October 2026.

Residents and businesses have been urged to cooperate with authorities. The notification applies to urban areas, where waste collection is concentrated, according to the circular.