In six months, BMC collects Rs 24 lakh as fine for spitting in public places

In the last six months, BMC has collected a fine of over Rs 24 lakh from 12,000 people for spitting in public places.

Under the Brihanmumbai Sanitation and Health Bye-Laws, 2006, the civic body levies a fine of Rs 200 on people spitting in public places. It has collected a fine of Rs 24,89,100 in six months.

Among the 24 administrative wards in Mumbai, L ward, which covers Sakinaka and Kurla, has reported the highest number of offenders and collected a fine of Rs 3.52 lakh. It is followed by A ward (Nariman Point, Colaba), which collected Rs 3.29 lakh.

To clamp down on the spread of Covid-19, the state government had last May imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 for spitting in public. However, BMC continues to impose a fine of only Rs 200 on the offenders.

Earlier this month, the Bombay High Court had asked the BMC, the police and the state government to take appropriate steps to sensitise officials and the public at large towards the menace of spitting in view of the pandemic. It had questioned the police and the BMC why a fine of Rs 200 was being collected despite the fine stipulated by the government being Rs 1,000.

If an infected person spits in public, passers-by have a higher risk of coming in contact with coronavirus. According to health officials, tobacco chewers pose a greater risk to the general public.