Mumbai: BMC penalises over 4,300 citizens for not wearing masks on first day of drive

Overall, BMC has collected over Rs 1.05 crore from 38,866 violators since April

On day 1 of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC’s) drive to penalise at least 20,000 citizens daily who don’t wear masks in public places, over 4,369 citizens were penalised Rs 8.73 lakh, according to BMC data. Overall, BMC has collected over Rs 1.05 crore from 38,866 violators since April.

As the daily number of fresh Covid-19 cases is now over 2,000, BMC had on Monday announced a massive drive to book around 20,000 citizens daily for not wearing a mask in public places. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

As the daily number of fresh Covid-19 cases is now over 2,000, BMC had on Monday announced a massive drive to book around 20,000 citizens daily for not wearing a mask in public places.

However, on Monday, not even 50% of the target could be met. A BMC official said, “In general, the power outage caused a lot of hardships for the administration. Local trains were also shut for a while; and due to this, mobilisation became difficult. Starting Tuesday, we plan to meet the daily target of booking 20,000 citizens.”

Municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal had on Monday said, “A large number of citizens do not wear masks; this will lead to the situation becoming difficult, thereby delaying opening up of the city.”

Chahal added, “BMC is initiating a mass drive of penalising approximately 20,000 citizens per day who are found without masks in public. We have resolved to continue this drive on a daily basis for the next month at least, and it will be monitored personally by me every evening.”

BMC had made it compulsory to wear a mask in public from the first week of April 2020 and has also levied fines since then for violating the order. The fine for not wearing a mask in a public place is Rs 200.