Mumbai: Now, sweep road for one hour if caught without a mask in a public place
Besides making violators do community services, including sweeping roads, BMC will also file cases against them with the police
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to make violators do community services in form of sweeping roads for an hour or cleaning graffiti if they argue against or refuse to pay Rs 200 fine for not wearing masks in public places, officials aware of the matter said. This punishment will be implemented as per BMC’s Solid Waste Management Bye-Laws, which give it powers to have citizens do community services for spitting on roads.
The officials said police cases will be lodged against those violators, who refuse the community service. They added many violators refuse to pay the Rs 200 fine for not wearing masks in public and that prompted the civic body to introduce the concept of community service to check the violations.
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Suresh Kakani, BMC’s additional commissioner, said their aim is to not earn money but to ensure that citizens wear masks in public places. “For this, we are exploring all possible means to ensure people realise the importance of wearing masks.”
Kakani said besides community services, including sweeping roads, they will also file cases against violators with the police. “At the same time, we are using all means to spread the message on wearing masks in public places.”
The BMC has been using social media, and hoardings to increase awareness over the importance of wearing masks in public to check the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Until October 21, over 100,000 citizens have been fined Rs 2.30 crore for not wearing masks in public places since April. Of this, Rs 1.64 crore was recovered from over 82,000 violators between October 1 and October 21.
The BMC on October 12 launched a drive to ensure people wear masks in public. Nearly 40,000 citizens were penalised on the first day of the drive. As many as 60,000 citizens were penalised for not wearing masks over the next 10 days.
