THANE: Starting Monday, littering in the city is likely to cost anywhere between Rs 100 to Rs 10,000. The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has deputed a team of 245 cleanliness marshals across the 10 administrative wards. These marshals have been assigned the task of identifying and penalizing those found littering.
The team will be authorised to nab and penalize those found spitting on the road, dumping garbage on the street and nullahs, washing clothes or cars on the streets, defecating in public area, etc.
An agency has been hired to do the job. They will earn their revenue from the fines and also share 57% of it with the corporation. This proposal was approved by the general body recently.
The marshals will be deployed at designated stretches across the 10 civic zones, especially slum pockets. There these marshals will have to focus more on ensuring the hygiene aspect. "There was a proposal to hire ex-servicemen for the job, but the same has been assigned to a Mumbai-based agency after completing the necessary formalities. The team of 245 marshals will scout the city to look for offenders. The penalty amount will range depending on the type of offence," said Ashok Burpulle, deputy municipal commissioner from the solid waste management department.
Along with penalizing offendors, these marshals will also be assigned the task to inculcate the concept of having cleaner surroundings. "It is also imperative that residents are imparted lessons in hygiene rather than just penalizing. We are working towards ensuring that residents feel an ownership towards the city and refrain from dirtying their surroundings just as they expect their homes to be clean," said an official.
Heaps of garbage lying on the street, children defecating in the open and public buildings being spoilt by paan stains have become a common sight in the city. For this, the administration has come under fire from activists and residents.
The TMC also had a dismal performance at the country-wide cleanliness campaign this year, causing immense embarrassment for the administration that has been spending a considerable amount and manpower on advocating cleanliness campaigns.
This concept was introduced in Thane during the tenure of the then civic commissioner R A Rajeev in 2013, but was discontinued for some reasons. The general body had also approved rates for littering and spitting in public places but the project failed to reach a proper conclusion and was discontinued soon after.
The marshals will be deployed at designated stretches across the 10 civic zones, especially slum pockets. The team will be authorised to nab and penalize those found spitting on the road, dumping garbage on the street and nullahs, washing clothes or cars on the streets, defecating in public area
The team will be authorised to nab and penalize those found spitting on the road, dumping garbage on the street and nullahs, washing clothes or cars on the streets, defecating in public area, etc.
An agency has been hired to do the job. They will earn their revenue from the fines and also share 57% of it with the corporation. This proposal was approved by the general body recently.
The marshals will be deployed at designated stretches across the 10 civic zones, especially slum pockets. There these marshals will have to focus more on ensuring the hygiene aspect. "There was a proposal to hire ex-servicemen for the job, but the same has been assigned to a Mumbai-based agency after completing the necessary formalities. The team of 245 marshals will scout the city to look for offenders. The penalty amount will range depending on the type of offence," said Ashok Burpulle, deputy municipal commissioner from the solid waste management department.
Along with penalizing offendors, these marshals will also be assigned the task to inculcate the concept of having cleaner surroundings. "It is also imperative that residents are imparted lessons in hygiene rather than just penalizing. We are working towards ensuring that residents feel an ownership towards the city and refrain from dirtying their surroundings just as they expect their homes to be clean," said an official.
Heaps of garbage lying on the street, children defecating in the open and public buildings being spoilt by paan stains have become a common sight in the city. For this, the administration has come under fire from activists and residents.
The TMC also had a dismal performance at the country-wide cleanliness campaign this year, causing immense embarrassment for the administration that has been spending a considerable amount and manpower on advocating cleanliness campaigns.
This concept was introduced in Thane during the tenure of the then civic commissioner R A Rajeev in 2013, but was discontinued for some reasons. The general body had also approved rates for littering and spitting in public places but the project failed to reach a proper conclusion and was discontinued soon after.
The marshals will be deployed at designated stretches across the 10 civic zones, especially slum pockets. The team will be authorised to nab and penalize those found spitting on the road, dumping garbage on the street and nullahs, washing clothes or cars on the streets, defecating in public area
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