Civic body to take action against shopkeepers littering city roads

To address ongoing concerns over cleanliness and waste management in the city’s prominent IDH Market, a meeting was held between the IDH Market Shopkeepers’ Association and MC Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh here on Thursday. The meeting, held at the MC office, was attended by the market association led by its president Kuldeep Singh, along with key officials, including Dr Kiran from the Health Department, Chief Sanitary Inspector Vijay Gill and Estate Officer Dharminderjit Singh.

Officials of the Health Department informed the MC Commissioner that though daily cleaning and waste lifting through trolleys is being carried out regularly in the IDH Market, shopkeepers continue to dump waste again on the streets after opening their shops around 11 am. Additionally, street vendors (rehriwalas) operating in the area were also blamed for littering and creating multiple garbage spots on roads.

Taking note of the issue, Aulakh issued strict directions that all garbage must be lifted by 11 am daily after morning cleaning. He further warned that any shopkeeper found throwing garbage before or after this time would first be issued two challans along with warnings. If the offence is repeated for a third time, sealing action against shops would be initiated.

The market association also raised the problem of the unregulated presence of rehris, whose operators often dispose of waste irresponsibly. They appealed to Aulakh to ensure that these rehris are permanently removed. Acting on the request, the MC Commissioner instructed Estate Officer Dharminderjit Singh to launch a joint drive with the Traffic Police to remove these street vendors from the IDH Market area and ensure they do not return.

In addition, Aulakh directed officials to strictly enforce the ban on single-use plastic and penalise violators with challans and heavy fines. The shopkeepers’ association assured him of full cooperation and committed to maintaining cleanliness, avoiding the use of single-use plastic, disposing of waste only in dustbins and refraining from placing goods outside their shops.