Patna sans waste disposal infra, but PMC mulls fine over litter

The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) is mulling to impose fine on those who litter the state capital.

The PMC board approved a proposal for constitution of a taskforce to collect fines and also gave its approval to the penalty amount to be levied on violators. The fine would range from Rs 100 to Rs 500 for those throwing garbage at non-designated spots.

“The proposal will be put on public domain to seek people’s opinion. After considering public opinion, the PMC will move to enforce the norms,” said PMC commissioner Abhishek Singh.

The commissioner, however, exuded confidence that the door-to-door garbage collection would ‘definitely’ take off this time. “It will happen by mid or February end. Tenders for six out of eight zones of the state capital have been opened, and negotiations will now take place,” he said.

PMC sources said tenders for two zones, comprising wards of Patna City, had been put off due to lack of interest by firms. “For others, two to five companies have shown their interest for the door-to-door collection service,” they said.

The move to realise fine from defaulters is interesting as the PMC is yet to streamline its garbage collection system.

The PMC, in 2008, had entered into an agreement with a company to outsource garbage collection of 10 of its 72 wards. The drive fizzled out after initial flourish.

The corporation again mulled the idea of outsourcing the work and the project was ‘formally launched’ by the then urban development minister Samrat Chaudhary, a couple of years back, but the cleaning of what is perceived to be the ‘dirtiest state capital in India’ failed to take off, yet again.

Some councilors, including Vinay Kumar Pappu and Kumar Sanjeev, were opposed to the concept of penalising people for littering without putting in place a proper system for waste disposal.

“It is highly objectionable to impose fine without providing proper means for garbage disposal,” they said.