Hike fine on dumping in drain to ₹5,000: Delhi High Court

Delhi High Court urges MCD to raise fines for garbage dumping in Taimur Nagar drain from ₹500 to ₹5,000 to combat severe waterlogging issues.

New Delhi

The directions came while the Bench was hearing its suo motu proceedings on waterlogging in the Capital, including one concerning maintenance of the Taimur Nagar drain. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to consider increasing by tenfold the penalties imposed on residents for dumping garbage into the Taimur Nagar drain, observing that littering drains was a major contributor to severe waterlogging in the city.

A bench of justices Prathiba M Singh and Manmeet PS Arora directed MCD to place before the competent authority a proposal for enhancing fines for dumping waste into drains and suggested that the existing penalty be increased from ₹500 to ₹5,000.

“Considering that the dirtying of the drain leads to severe waterlogging, the fine would also be liable to be increased, if so required. Let the MCD consider the same and place the proposal for increasing the fine amounts. Let template of the flyer be also placed on record. You should increase it to ₹5,000,” the court observed.

The directions came while the bench was hearing its suo motu proceedings on waterlogging in the Capital, along with a batch of connected petitions, including one concerning flooding in the Maharani Bagh area and maintenance of the Taimur Nagar drain.

During the hearing, counsel appearing for the Maharani Bagh Co-operative House Building and Welfare Society Ltd submitted that cleanliness was not being adequately maintained in and around the locality and the adjoining drain.

Referring to recent photographs, the counsel argued that garbage continued to be dumped into the drain and alleged that MCD had “failed to take stringent action” against violators or ensure proper waste collection in the Taimur Nagar area.

In response, MCD’s counsel informed the court that the civic body had issued challans against people found littering, creating insanitary conditions or causing public nuisance.

He submitted that the prescribed penalty under the existing rules was ₹500 and that the offence was compoundable, meaning violators could settle the matter by paying the fine without facing further legal proceedings.

The court also directed MCD to print and distribute flyers informing residents of Maharani Bagh and neighbouring colonies about penalties for dumping garbage in residential areas and drains.

The bench said such awareness campaigns should particularly target densely populated localities to deter littering and improve compliance with waste disposal rules.

The matter will next be heard on July 24.