Littering, spitting, bathing, urinating, and defecating at public places and on private property, except in authorised receptacles, under the jurisdiction of Mangalore City Corporation will invite a fine of Rs. 500, for each of the above mentioned activities, according to the draft solid-waste management and sanitation bye-laws of the civic body approved by its Standing Committee for Public Health, Education and Social Justice recently.
Although the corporation sought the approval of the council on the 32-page draft at its November 30, 2012 meeting, the council referred it to the standing committee.
Madhu. S. Manohar, Environment Engineer at the corporation, told The Hindu that the committee approved the draft at its meeting in the second week of January. It would be sent to the State government for approval. The bye-laws would come into effect only after the government’s approval.
According to the draft, washing vehicles at non-designated areas would invite a fine of Rs. 1,000. Feeding animals or birds and washing utensils/clothes/and other objects at non-designated areas would invite a fine of Rs. 500. It said: “…no person, whether a driver or passenger in a vehicle, shall throw or deposit litter on any street, road, sidewalk, playground, garden, traffic island, or other public place…”
The draft bye-laws have stressed the segregation of waste at source. It said that if the waste delivered to the corporation workers was found to be mixed it would be considered as a breach of the bye-laws and would invite fines ranging from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 10,000 for individuals and bulk-waste generators.
The draft had proposed a fine of Rs. 5,000 for disposal of waste by burning.
It had listed biodegradable and recyclable waste and specified household hazardous waste.
Referring to public gatherings and events, the draft said that it would be the responsibility of the organiser to ensure the cleanliness of that area as well as all appurtenant areas.
It said that in case the person or any other generator of solid waste who had violated the byelaws was not able to pay the fine they would have to “do an hour of community work that would include road sweeping or graffiti cleaning.”
It said that the penalty of “community service” would first be implemented at notified areas, as decided by the Commissioner of the civic body, for the first three months on a pilot basis. After successful implementation, community service would be made applicable in the entire civic body.
