1,339 citizens fined Rs17.64L for dumping garbage, urinating in open

Proshun Chakraborty | TNN | Apr 30, 2020, 04:44 IST

Nagpur: In abject disregard for Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) efforts to keep Nagpur clean amid coronavirus scare, people continue to dump garbage or urinate in public places. The NMC Nuisance Detection Squad (NDS) or civic cops caught 1,339 citizens who were made to cough up Rs17.64 lakh as fine during the lockdown period so far.
According to the NDS data compiled from March 25 to April 24, maximum cases were filed in Dhantoli zone where 265 persons were caught for various civic nuisance and fined Rs2.36 lakh. In Mangalwari zone, 192 nuisance mongers were made to pay Rs2.54 lakh fine while 149 persons in Laxmi Nagar zone paid Rs1.11 lakh fine for similar offences.
The civic cops also caught 145 people under Nehru Nagar zone and recovered Rs1.46 lakh fine.
To a query, NDS officials said Dhantoli zone registered highest cases due to opening of temporary vegetable market outside Yeshwant stadium. Most of the nuisance mongers were penalized here, the officials said.
The NDS team also penalized 43 shopkeepers and collected Rs2.30 lakh fine for keeping prohibited plastic items, especially polythene carry bags.
The NDS drive also exposed that even during lockdown period many Nagpurians continue to hold events by blocking public roads. The team led by commandant Veersen Tambe recovered Rs9 lakh fine from 584 persons for blocking public roads. Stocking construction material on roads and footpaths also led to action against 218 persons who were fined Rs2.42 lakh.
Pre-lockdown, the civic cops used to penalize on an average 222 Nagpurians every day but now the number has come down.
The civic cops have also slapped a fine of Rs40,000 on an undergarment showroom in Ganjakhet for keeping it open in violation of lockdown norms. The NDS team also found over five workers inside the shop.
Civic nuisance
Zones---Cases---Fines
Laxmi Nagar---149----1.11
Dharampeth---106---1.47
Hanuman Nagar---103---1.09
Dhantoli---265---2.36
Nehru Nagar---145---1.46
Gandhibagh---83---2.25
Satranjipura---140---1.99
Lakadganj---69---1.04
Ashi Nagar----87---2.29
Mangalwari---192---2.54
(Approx fine in Rs lakh)
301 paid Rs1.08L fine for not using mask
The civic cops caught 301 people for not wearing masks in public places and recovered Rs108,900 fine from them. “The highest number of violators were caught at temporary vegetable markets,” NDS commandant Veersen Tambe said. The team started penalizing people without masks from April 15. According to the data available between April 15 and April 28, the civic cops caught 123 people without masks from Dhantoli zone, followed by 45 under Nehru Nagar and 44 in Satranjipura zone. Similarly, action was taken against five persons under Laxmi Nagar zone, three under Mangalwari zone, 43 under Dharampeth zone, two under Gandhibagh zone, 6 under Lakadganj zone and 24 under Ashi Nagar zone.
Yuva Sena demands ban on kharra
Yuva Sena activist Vikram Rathod has demanded ban on ‘kharra’ in entire Vidarbha, especially in Nagpur, after Yavatmal witnessed a spurt in Covid-19 cases due distribution of kharra by a pan kiosk owner who was found positive. Rathod had helped the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA officials raid an illegal kharra making unit at Wathoda in city. Rathod had submitted memorandum to the chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, FDA minister Rajendra Shingne and district collector in this regard. “Chewing of kharra has increased cancer patients in the region,” he said while citing other health reasons for seeking an immediate ban.