Chandigarh MC slaps 165 challans for violation of solid waste rules

Ahead of the Swachh Survekshan inspection in the city, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) on Saturday kick-started a special drive against plastic carry bags, construction and demolition waste, horticulture waste, non-segregation of waste and littering, issuing 165 challans to violators on the first day.

Municipal commissioner Amit Kumar has formed various teams of the sanitation department to check violations of the municipal solid waste (MSW) rules in the city. During the inspection, the teams, headed by chief sanitation inspectors, found many shopkeepers using and storing plastic carry bags in violation of MSW rules.

Thus, the teams issued challans to the offenders and warned them of strict action if the violations continued. Of the total 165 violators, 43 were fined for using plastic carry bags, 68 for littering, 52 for non-segregation of waste, and one each for construction and demolition waste, and horticulture waste. Challans ranging between ₹500 to ₹20,000 were imposed on different categories of defaulters.

“MC finds a unique way to challan violators who throw garbage in open or public places. The inspection teams searched for the proof of defaulters from the garbage dumps and found payment slips of the food joints or individual citizens from different dumps in public places, and backtracked 12 such violators. They have been issued challans for littering in public places,” said Kumar.

The commissioner said MC will continue this drive in future as well, and all shopkeepers as well as the garbage lifters have been advised to follow the guidelines. He also appealed to the citizens to join hands with MC for better management of solid waste in the city.

The Swachh Survekshan inspection team is expected to arrive by the end of this month in the city. Swachh Survekshan is an annual survey of cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in villages, cities and towns across India. It was launched as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.