Littering on roads: Civic bodies to impose fines from Sept 1

Kolkata: From Sept 1, civic bodies across the state will start imposing fines as per the existing act for littering on roads in municipal areas. The state municipal affairs department will develop infrastructure, including installing waste bins at 100-metre gaps across all municipal areas in the next three months, and will hold awareness drives to apprise citizens of the decision.

“We will undertake awareness campaigns and infrastructure build-up drive for the next three months where we will apprise citizens, requesting them not to throw waste on the roads. After three months, from Sept 1 onwards, we will start imposing fines for littering,” state municipal affairs minister Agnimitra Paul announced on Thursday.

Paul said that dustbins will be installed across all municipal areas in the state in the next three months. “Dustbins will be installed at every 100-metre gap. After three months from now, littering of any kind of waste, including spitting on the road, will be prohibited and fines will be imposed as per the municipal Act,” the minister said, adding that the dept will start the initiative of waste segregation from household level afresh.

Paul said the state would launch the geo-tagged dedicated mobile application, named ‘Swachha’, for cleanliness this Saturday, beginning with 10 municipalities in the state.

“The pilot project will start from 10 municipalities where citizens will be able to take a snap of accumulated waste and upload it on the app,” Paul said. The precise location will be instantly sent to civic teams to reach the spot and clean it. The app will be launched in the presence of Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar and CM Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday.

Paul said the govt will ask the Union minister to give funds to execute various projects for the next one year. “We would request the minister to give us funds to carry on implementing some new projects,” Paul said.

The state govt is taking up a pilot initiative in the Asansol-Durgapur region focusing on scientific waste management and proper garbage disposal along with sanitation, hygiene awareness and cleaner surroundings.