Now, littering within city limits to attract heavy fine

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 21

Littering in the city will now attract a heavy fine upto Rs 20,000 as per the new solid waste management by-laws of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC). The corporation has also urged city residents to ensure waste-segregation even as its past efforts in this regard have failed.

“The new solid waste management by-laws are in effect since September 18. While on one hand, its aim is to keep the city clean, at the same time, the laws put certain responsibilities on residents. Waste from households and business establishments should be properly segregated. Kitchen waste such as vegetable peels or skin of fruits should be kept separate from dry waste such as polythene, plastic, cloth etc,” SMC commissioner Khurshid Ahmad Sanai said in a public notice.

“Failure to segregate waste for the first time will attract a fine of Rs 500 from households and Rs 20,000 from business establishments. Throwing waste on roads or burning it will amount to a fine of Rs 5,000,” said Sanai.

In the past, the SMC had carried out many drives to ensure segregation of waste in households, with little success.