Nearly 28,000 MCD challans in five months, one in four for public urination, garbage dumping

Nearly 28,000 MCD challans in five months, one in four for public urination, garbage dumping

New Delhi, The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has issued nearly 28,000 challans and imposed fines worth ₹2.31 crore in over five months since the implementation of the Jan Vishwas Act, officials said on Tuesday, adding that public urination, illegal garbage dumping, and defacement of public spaces accounted for nearly one in every four challans.

Nearly 28,000 MCD challans in five months, one in four for public urination, garbage dumping

Of the 27,915 challans issued from May-end to October 28, nearly 7,000 were for offences falling under the broad category of 'commission of nuisance', which includes public urination, defacement of public property, unauthorised pasting of posters, dumping garbage in public places, and other activities prohibited under Section 397 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act.

According to official data accessed by PTI, the MCD collected ₹99.15 lakh against 16,281 paid challans, while 11,634 challans involving ₹1.32 crore remain unpaid.

An analysis of the offence-wise data from August 1 to October 30 showed that 3,633 challans were issued under Sections 397, , and for 'commission of nuisance', involving fines of ₹18.16 lakh.

An official said the number of such challans could have exceeded 7,000 during the broader period, based on the proportion recorded in the available data. Of these, 1,810 challans worth ₹9.05 lakh were paid, while 1,823 challans involving ₹9.11 lakh remained unpaid.

The civic body issued 971 challans under Section 398 for failing to comply with directions to remove or abate a nuisance.

Among other violations, 557 challans were issued for failing to provide arrangements for refusing collection or removing garbage. Another 440 were issued for failing to collect or remove filth or polluted matter, while 276 challans were issued for failing to remove rubbish from market premises despite directions.

The MCD also issued 117 challans for failing to provide or maintain clean latrines at premises used by large numbers of people, while 103 were issued for failing to provide toilets at markets, cattle sheds, or cart stands.

The Jan Vishwas Act, 2026, was notified by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on May 15. It amended several provisions of the DMC Act, replacing criminal action with monetary penalties for specified violations.

The MCD authorised officers across departments to function as adjudicating and appellate authorities and to impose civil penalties on May 19.

Under the revised provisions, public urination or causing nuisance, which earlier attracted a fine of up to ₹50, can now invite a penalty of ₹500. The penalty for allowing a ferocious dog to roam without a leash has increased from ₹50 to ₹1,000, while that for defacing a house number has also been raised to ₹1,000.

The Department of Environment Management Services accounted for the highest number of challans among the civic body's nine departments, issuing 15,961 penalties involving ₹98.11 lakh. Of these, 10,773 challans were paid, bringing in ₹41.86 lakh, while ₹56.25 lakh remained outstanding.

The Public Health Department issued 3,904 challans involving ₹61.60 lakh, while its Malaria wing issued another 5,599 challans worth ₹30.77 lakh.

The Licensing Department recorded 1,334 challans, followed by the Veterinary Department with 623.

At the zonal level, the City-SP zone, covering Old Delhi, recorded the highest number of challans at 6,066, involving fines of ₹32.48 lakh. Of these, 4,636 were paid, amounting to ₹18.03 lakh.

An MCD official said that merely imposing monetary penalties would not be enough to change civic behaviour unless violations carried a sustained and tangible consequence.

"People should not feel that they can repeatedly violate civic rules and get away with paying a small fine. The penalties must act as a deterrent and encourage compliance. Enforcement has to be consistent, with stricter action against repeat offenders," the official said, adding that Delhi could adopt elements of Indore's enforcement model, which combines incentives for compliance with strict penalties for violations.

The civic body uses a digital challan system integrated with its MCD 311 mobile application to facilitate the reporting and penalisation of civic violations. The system enables complaints and violations to be recorded digitally, allowing the municipal authorities to track enforcement and follow up on complaints.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.