Littering streets? Be ready to cough up fine of Rs 500

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, September 8

The next time you plan to dump garbage on city roads, think twice, as the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) is planning to impose a challan of Rs 500 on those who litter the city streets.

The MCB is planning to deal strictly with people who throw garbage or other items on roads and public places. The Corporation has even started making preparations to frame bylaws for sanitation, construction and keeping pets.

Apart from littering the city roads, the MCB would be issuing challans of Rs 500 for urinating, Rs 500 for defecating, Rs 500 for feeding animals or birds at non-designated places, Rs 300 for bathing in the open, Rs 300 for washing clothes or utensils and Rs 250 for spitting.

The Corporation will also impose Rs 1,000 challan for littering or defecating by pet on the roads, Rs 500 for not keeping house gully clean, Rs 750 for not segregating non-household (meat, fish and poultry) waste and Rs 750 challan to a hawker without a waste container or bucket.

Mayor Balwant Rai Nath said it was for the first time that the Corporation was framing bylaws on its own for tackling the problem of garbage. Under the Municipal Act, there is a provision to issue a challan to a person who throws garbage or other material on the road and send him to court. But by making its own bylaws, the MCB will create a provision by which it can impose a challan on its own, the Mayor added.

Dealing with an iron hand

• MCB will issue challans of Rs 500 for urinating, Rs 500 for defecating, Rs 500 for feeding animals or birds at non-designated places, Rs 300 for bathing in the open, Rs 300 for washing clothes or utensils and Rs 250 for spitting.
• Also, residents will be issued Rs 2,000 challan for not storing or delivering construction and demolition waste in segregated manner, Rs 500 for burning waste, Rs 300 for not delivering non-biodegradable waste in segregated manner and Rs 200 for not delivering green waste and tree trimming waste as specific.