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As LMC cracks whip, litterbugs learn to litter no more
In two months, around 4,037 people were caught spreading dirt in Old Lucknow areas and a fine of ₹3.74 lakh was realised from them on the spot.
Around 10,000 Lucknowites were fined in the last two months for littering roads. Yet, throwing litter from the rooftop is a common sight in many areas of the Old City.
Things were difficult for the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) in the Old City where every third person was throwing litter from the rooftop inside the narrow lanes but due to better surveillance and electronic evidence they are now not able to escape fines.
In two months, around 4,037 people were caught spreading dirt in areas of Chowk, Balaganj, Mallahi Tola, Hussainabad, etc, falling in Zone 6 of Old Lucknow. A fine of ₹3.74 lakh was realised from them on the spot.
Municipal commissioner Ajay Dwivedi said, “Corporation officials have recovered a fine of more than ₹20 lakh from litterbugs in the state capital. Not only that, we have educated people who were guilty of throwing waste on roads, inside drains, nullahs instead of giving it to our collection workers who go door to door to collect kitchen waste. We are spending more than ₹2 crore per month to keep the city clean but due to some residents who keep littering, the city still struggles to look clean.”
The culture of keeping one’s own house clean but roads dirty has to change, said the municipal commissioner.
However, the strictness of the LMC has increased.
Dwivedi said, “The rule of on-the-spot fine was made by the central government five years back after the launch of the Swachh Survekshan competition. The centre fixed fines on those who litter open public places, on those who throw garbage on the road, and on footpaths. There is a provision of lodging FIRs against repeat offenders.”
The LMC officials said that a fine of ₹200 does not make much of a difference so it has to be increased to act as a deterrent.
Ashok Singh, chief tax fixation officer of LMC, said, “Earlier, the LMC used to run the campaign for eight-ten days a year, but this is the first time that the campaign is going on continuously for two months and has started yielding some results. Due to the high number of litterbugs, zonal officers have formed teams at the ward level to monitor litter on the roads. Not only this, cleaning supervisors have also been given the right to impose fines on the spot to control the habit of throwing litter on the roads.”
He said many residents picked fights with LMC men when they were fined for throwing litter on the roads. They said that they had been doing this for years and they were never stopped from doing it. “Many thought that it was their right to litter roads and it was the duty of LMC to clean it. Now, after awareness and paying fines, the behaviour of residents is changing,” Dwivedi said.
