1.5 million people fined ₹30.96 crore for not wearing mask: Mumbai civic body

The highest fine collection was from K-West ward, which includes Andheri (West), Jogeshwari (West) and Oshiwara, where 108,912 citizens were fined of ₹2.22 crore.

In the past 10 months, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has collected ₹30.96 crore in fines from 1.5 million citizens for not wearing face masks in public areas. Wearing masks in public is mandatory and violating this Covid-19 protocol attracts a fine of ₹200.

Mumbai civic body has made wearing masks in public is mandatory and violating this Covid-19 protocol attracts a fine of ₹200. (HT FILE)

According to BMC, the civic body has collected ₹30.96 crore in fines as of February 16. The highest fine collection was from K-West ward, which includes Andheri (West), Jogeshwari (West) and Oshiwara, where 108,912 citizens were fined of ₹2.22 crore. S ward (Bhandup, Powai and Vikhroli) came next with 85,119 citizens being fined ₹1.70 crore; followed by L ward (Kurla), where ₹1.69 crore was collected from 83,932 citizens. B ward, which is the smallest ward in the city and covers areas like Pydhonie and Bhendi Bazaar, has recorded the lowest collection with 30,876 citizens fined ₹61 lakh.

Meanwhile, Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar on Thursday directed BMC officials to register a case against a hotel in the western suburbs to which four citizens had fled instead of entering institutional quarantine upon returning from international travel. Passengers from the United Kingdom, Middle East, Europe and South Africa are required to quarantine because of new variants of Covid-19 have been found in these countries.