1,275 sanitation-related challans, city undeterred

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 18

The Municipal Corporation (MC) has issued 1,275 challans regarding sanitation to residents in the current financial year. Out of these, 43 challans have been issued for open defecation and urination. On the directions of the Central Government, 15 persons were challaned for open defection.

The health wing of the MC has also issued notices to several langar (community kitchen) organising committees, who organised langars on Maha Shivaratri festival. The MC had issued directions to take permission before organising the langar and use bins to collect the waste.

Only a few langar committees had taken permission. Officials have served notices to committees and summoned them to pay the fine.

Officials said they had been issuing challans for dumping garbage on or along roads, non-usage of dustbins, spitting pan, urinating and defecating in the open.

Sanitary inspectors collect fine as per the social status of violators.

Municipal Health Officer Dr Raju Chowan said, “We are flexible over the penalty. We have made slabs from Rs 20 to Rs 200 to be collected from errants depending upon their financial capability. We are developing sanitation infrastructure. Violators have no excuse. No one will be exempted for creating a nuisance.”

Even after that, residents and shopkeepers still dump garbage on roadside and streets. A large number of bins have been installed in market areas. Workers of the solid waste management company say that only safai karamcharis use the bins. Shopkeepers dump garbage outside their shops and safai karamcharis collect the same to put it in the bins.