Mumbaiites, your bad habits are costing you: BMC nets ₹8.46 cr in fines for littering, spitting in 11 months

Mumbai city news: Officials collected the most fines in August, netting Rs1.10 crore

Mumbaiites are paying a heavy price for littering, spitting and urinating on the city’s roads. After the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reintroduced clean-up marshals to the city in July, they registered 3.91 lakh offences and collected Rs8.46 crore in fines.

Data from the civic body reveals that between January 1 and May 31, clean-up marshals collected Rs3.36 crore. (HT File Photo)

Officials collected the most fines in August, netting Rs1.10 crore. Spitting and littering were the most common offences they noted. Fines ranged from Rs200 to Rs1,000.

Scheme attracted controversy

In 2011, following allegations of corruption and improper conduct by the marshals, the BMC terminated the programme.

However, following a Bombay high court order, the scheme was restarted in June 2013. It was, however, discontinued after the marshals’ contract expired in July 2014.

Data from the civic body reveals that between January 1 and May 31, clean-up marshals collected Rs3.36 crore. They collected Rs89.09 lakh in April, the highest amount this year. Each ward has around 30 clean-up marshals deployed. Some wards have more, based on the number of population-dense areas.

Of the fines collected, 50% are given to the BMC, while the rest is paid to the marshals’ agency. The daily amount collected is deposited in citizen facilitation centres (CFCs) in each of the city’s 24 wards.

A senior civic official said the BMC plans to renew the marshals’ one-year contract that ends this month. “The scheme has worked well in the city. The marshals have helped spread awareness and prevent people from littering in public. They have also added to the BMC’s revenue,” the official said.

In his budget speech for the financial year 2017-18, municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta said clean-up marshals scheme would be strengthened.