• GMC enforcement team has collected Rs 2,84,180 in August as fines
• GMC flying squads levies fine of Rs 500 on spitting or littering in public places
• GMC reiterates segregation of waste by all commercial establishments etc
• Two flying squads work in shifts to ensure cleanliness in the city
• Seeking people’s participation GMC has taken to rewarding people for sharing photos
• The flying squads have collected Rs 59,180 from 25th July to 30th August
• In August 50 people have been felicitated with Rs 100 and 14 with Rs 500
The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) flying squads, which were entrusted with the duty to ensure cleanliness and hygiene in the city, have collected a total of Rs 2,84,180 for the month of August as fines.
The municipal body, through its flying squads, had already imposed a fine of Rs 59,180 from July 25 till August 30. Further, the enforcement team has collected a total fine of Rs 2,84,180 for the month of August from traders.
GMC flying squads would fine people Rs 500 in case they are found spitting or littering in public places. The special force will look into the matter.
As per the guidelines of the GMC, there should be segregation of waste maintained for all commercial establishments, institutions, traders, and shops functioning under this jurisdiction. Further, if the rule is not followed and the repetition of the same offence is found, the trade license of the errant establishment will be cancelled by the corporation.
However, it has come to notice that the rule was not followed which made GMC come up with the flying squads. Each flying squad consists of six members which move around the city for inspection. The squads also look into the garbage collection system of the city. The squads are equipped with a vehicle and all necessary equipment to clear out garbage dumped on roadsides from different areas of the city. There are two squads consisting of six people each and they work in shifts; one shift works from 6am to 1pm and the next shift from 1pm to 8pm.
For active participation of all the city people, GMC has taken out policies of rewarding people for sharing photos of people littering garbage or spitting in public areas. The reward has been classified into two categories: people who send photos of littered areas are awarded with Rs 100 and Rs 500 is awarded to people who send in photos that have people captured spitting or littering in public areas.
GMC authorities told G Plus that the majority of fines have been collected from the commercial outlets that serve food. After implementing the rule of segregating the waste in different bins, the commercial food industry did not take it seriously and did not even have proper facilities for disposal of waste. Most of the people fined did not even have trade licenses.
Debeswar Malakar, commissioner of GMC told G Plus, “We have not yet received any pictures of people spitting in public spaces, though people do spit at places. We received a lot of pictures where people are littering waste all over the public spaces.”
He added, “The flying squads have collected Rs 59,180 from 25th July to 30th August only by penalty imposition for the garbage dump. And our enforcement team collected Rs 2,84,180 in the month of August from the traders without trade license, for not keeping dustbins in their premises, for not keeping their premises clean and for placing stalls on the footpaths.”
The commissioner further said, “For the month of July we have rewarded 55 people with Rs 100 and 6 people with Rs 500. And in the month of August 50 people have been felicitated with Rs 100 and 14 with Rs 500.”
GMC has strictly warned the owners of all the commercial spaces which have been operating without the trade license, to get the license ready within the allotted time (15 days), or else the space would no longer be functional.
Several NGOs are also working in this cleanness drive and even they have been felicitated. Till date three NGOs have been facilitated by the GMC. The fine collected is used to reward the citizens who have been sending photos.
The authorities informed that in the near future, GMC will be taking out guidelines that will be implemented for the water bodies. People would be charged/fined starting from Rs 2,000 to Rs 25,000 for throwing garbage in the water bodies. And if people still continue to commit the same mistake, again and again, an FIR will be lodged against them and they will be put behind bars for three months.