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As Covid cases surge in Pune, PMC and police begin crackdown on mask violators
Pune: As the city is seeing a gradual increase in Covid positive cases, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pune police have taken action against 4,682 people for not wearing masks in seven days between February 10 and February 18
Pune: As the city is seeing a gradual increase in Covid positive cases, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pune police have taken action against 4,682 people for not wearing masks in seven days between February 10 and February 18. PMC has fined 184 in seven days and collected ₹92,500 fine while police have collected a fine of ₹21,39,800 from 4,498 violators. Activists say that the civic administration should include extensive sensitisation in its strategies to get the residents wear masks.
From May 2020 till February 17, 2021, PMC has fined 6,778 people for not wearing masks and collected a fine of ₹33,85,100. Pune police have taken action against 4,498 people in the last seven days.
“PMC and police have the rights to take action against those not wearing masks in public. We have given receipt slips to the police. Half of the fine collected will be deposited with PMC and rest with the police. We have intensified the action against mask offenders in the last two days,” said Kunal Khemnar, additional municipal commissioner, PMC.
In the total tally of coronavirus positive cases in the district, PMC area has maximum cases, according to the state health department officials.
Health experts have noted that the civic body needs to do a lot more to contain the virus spread.
“PMC is behaving in a manner that it is the job of police authorities to take action against those not wearing masks. This approach is not correct. The cases have been rising. You may fine people for not wearing masks, but a mask should be provided to the offender and PMC must step up in this. The municipal corporation is resourceful, and people should be encouraged to wear mask rather than fear action for violation,” said Abhijit More, health activist and state co-convenor for NGO Jan Arogya Abhiyan.
“Mask is an important tool to prevent coronavirus infection. After the meeting with the chief minister, I have instructed authorities to ensure strict compliance of the Covid-19 prevention SOPs (standard operating procedure). The action against those not wearing masks has been intensified,” Pune collector Rajesh Deshmukh had said earlier. Amitabh Gupta, commissioner of police, Pune, has instructed police stations to intensify drive against those who do not wear masks.
Mask norm drive resumes in rural areas
Pune: In the light of increasing coronavirus positive cases, the district administration has intensified action against those without masks in rural areas. As some restrictions were eased during the unlock process and the number of positives had reduced, the action against mask norm violation was halted in these areas. The administration has resumed the drive since February 16.
“We have collected ₹2.5 crore fine for violating mask compulsion in rural areas till date. The drive was halted, but resumed since last two days,” said Abhinav Deshmukh, superintendent of police, Pune rural.
On February 16, the Pune rural police took action on 327 persons for not wearing masks and collected ₹53,100 as fine. On February 17, 152 were fined and ₹16,300 was collected.
“I have ordered every grampanchayat to be vigilant about compelling people to wear masks. It is true that the number of positive cases from rural areas has been increasing but these are located in specific pockets. For example, more cases have been reported from Shirur taluka, Hinjewadi from Maval taluka and in the villages on Ahmednagar road. We are alert,” said zilla parishad CEO Ayush Prasad.
