Civic bodies welcome garbage fine order, say it will help them keep Delhi clean

The civic agencies believe that the order will help streamline the garbage management in the city. They said they are working on several initiatives to make the city clean.

Delhi’s municipal corporations on Monday welcomed the National Green Tribunal’s order to impose a fine of Rs 10,000 on those throwing garbage in the open.

East Delhi Municipal Corporation employees clear garbage from an area. The municipal bodies say the NGT order will enforce segregation of garbage at source. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

They said the order will add teeth to their enforcement of the sanitation rules and make it imperative on the people to segregate waste and ensure that it is dumped properly.

The civic agencies believe the order will help streamline garbage management. They said they are working on several initiatives to make the city clean.

This includes collecting and segregation of the garbage at the source, developing local segregation sites and a proper disposal by engaging private firms.

“We were already working on implementing the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. The NGT order has provided impetus by imposing stricter fines on the violators,” said a senior municipal official.

The anti-littering law of 2009 mandates fines ranging between R50 and R500. In June, the Delhi government asked the municipal corporations to change the bylaws, so that they are in accordance with the Union government’s Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. The fresh provisions recommended fines ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000 for throwing garbage and littering in public space.

“But now the NGT has ordered an environment compensation of Rs 10,000 on vegetable vendors and slaughter houses for throwing garbage in public places. This will add teeth to our enforcement drives,” said a senior South Delhi Municipal Corporation official.

The civic bodies are preparing a list of garbage sources and the way garbage is dumped there. If their functioning is not found satisfying and environment friendly, then immediate action will be taken, another official said.

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation will start door-to-door garbage collection in four of its six zones from the next month.

The waste generators will have to separate wet (biodegradable), dry (plastic, paper, metal, wood, etc.) and domestic hazardous wastes (diapers, napkins, blades, batteries, mosquito repellents, etc.).

“If they won’t segregate then we will be authorised to penalise them as per the rules,” said PK Gupta, commissioner, North Corporation. The civic body will also hire a concessionaire for collecting waste and dumping it at the landfill site after proper segregation.

Initiatives like installation of fixed compacting stations in each ward for segregation, compressing and transporting solid waste collected from household has also been started. “Already 40 fixed compacting stations have been installed with the help of the private firm,” senior south corporation official.

Civic agencies lay stress on proper functioning of three solid waste management sites in Okhla, Ghazipur and Najafgarh. For disposal of hazardous waste, the corporations are working in coordination with Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).

“The agency has dedicated sites for dumping hazardous waste. We will use them,” said an official.

Read: NGT orders Rs 10,000 fine for throwing garbage at public places