PMC legal committee postpones decision on sanitation bylaws

The bylaws, once approved, will give the PMC the authority to impose fine on anyone violating the rules related to sanitation and public health.

THE LEGAL COMMITTEE of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has delayed its decision on the proposed bylaws for solid waste management.
Gayatri Khadke, chairperson of the PMC Legal Committee, said, “The civic administration had tabled a draft of the Public Health and Sanitation Bye-laws 2017 last month but a decision is yet to be taken on it, as members of the committee wanted to understand it before approving.” She added that the civic administration has been asked to give a detailed presentation on the bylaws in the next meeting. Till then, the members would study the draft.

“Committee members can clarify all their queries during the presentation, and a decision on the draft would be taken accordingly,” said Khadke.
She added that the bylaws needed to be carefully examined as, once approved, they would empower the civic administration to impose a penalty on the violators.

In the draft bylaws, the PMC has mandated registration or licencing for operation of vermicomposting plants in the city and those (residential property owners) failing to do so would be fined Rs 200. The PMC has proposed to recover compounding charges of Rs 200 for first violation and Rs 400 if one repeatedly fails to obtain a licence for wet waste processing facilities.

Similarly, non-segregation of waste for residential category would now lead to compounding charges of Rs 200 for first violation and Rs 400 for repeated instances. Those creating public nuisance by burning or burying waste in the open would have to pay compounding charges of Rs 200 the first time and Rs 400 since.

Spitting in public, urinating, washing clothes or utensils in non-designated places, littering while feeding animals or birds and open defecation would call for Rs 500 as fine.

Additionally, the PMC has proposed heavy compounding charges pertaining to how plastic waste is handled. Production, distribution, storage, sale or use of plastic or thermocol, in violation of standards laid down under the Plastic Waste Management rules or any other regulations, would ensure compounding charges of Rs 5,000 the first time and Rs 10,000 thereafter.