On June 14, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) notified the draft for new Solid Waste Management By-Law, 2016, which listed hefty fines for littering. Though citizens in the city were given a 30-day time frame to appeal before the Commissioner of GCC, an official said they are still inviting suggestions from the public.
"Once the Greater Chennai Corporation Council approves the final draft, the new by-laws will come into effect by August," an official told TNM.
The solid waste management bylaws are framed under Section 349 of the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act, 1919.
According to the new bylaws, the maximum fine proposed by the Chennai Corporation is Rs 25,000, a sharp jump from the current fine of Rs 50. Event organisers, who litter, bury and burn waste and do not segregate, will attract a heavy fine of Rs 25,000.
Incidentally, Chennai has fallen behind other cities in framing and notifying by-laws as mandated under Solid Waste Management Rules 2016.
Under the proposed statutory provision, a fine ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 25,000 will be applicable to violators, including domestic, institutional, commercial and any other non-residential solid waste generators. Individuals found dumping solid waste in stormwater drains, underground sewage systems and waterbodies in Chennai will also be penalised.
The by-laws also stress on the source segregation. It says that residents, institutions and commercial establishments must segregate and store the waste in three separate bins - biodegradable, non-biodegradable and domestic hazardous waste. The segregated waste must be handed over to authorised waste collectors.
The draft can be accessed at www.chennaicorporation.gov.in/
Citizens can send their suggestions to the city corporation’s headquarters at Ripon building, Periyamet.
Here are some key fines proposed by GCC:
Spitting, urinating and defecation in public spaces - Rs 100
Street vendors who do not use garbage containers - Rs 100
Residents who dump garbage, including garden waste, on the street - Rs 1,000
Owners of non-residential buildings who litter public spaces - Rs 2,000
Traders who litter public space - Rs 1,000