PMC recovers ₹3.26 crore from 57,000 persons for dirtying public places
The official said that health inspectors and squad members have been given the authority to levy fines on those not following hygienic norms
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in the past one year has fined 57,000 persons for not following hygienic practices and collected ₹3.26 crore. The violations include dumping waste, rubble, public urination and other offences like disposing house waste on roads, dumping in riverbed, plastic waste dumping and non-segregation of dry and wet waste.
Sandeep Kadam, incharge, PMC solid waste management, said, “The fine recovered is the highest in the past three years. We have appointed flying squads like our counterpart Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) where independent employees have been deployed to act against violators. We are also contemplating zone wise action plan so that citizens enjoy clean surroundings.”
The official said that health inspectors and squad members have been given the authority to levy fines on those not following hygienic norms.
From March 2024 onwards, the civic body has increased fines for non-segregation of waste from ₹60 for the first offence and ₹180 for subsequent violations to ₹300 and ₹500; bulk waste generators from ₹5,000 to ₹15,000 depending on recurrence, and fines for burning garbage from ₹500 to ₹5,000.
Social worker Jaymala Dhankikar said, “Besides recovering fines from citizens, PMC must concentrate on fining pet owners for pet waste on footpaths. Action also needs to be taken against MSEDCL and other government institutions for not clearing debris after digging roads and relaying it.”