Garbage collection vans
Nashik : With Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2027 on the horizon, the civic body is turning up the heat on habitual litterbugs. Starting next week, those caught dumping garbage in public places will face a hefty Rs 10,000 penalty, according to a public notice issued on Thursday. Households failing to segregate wet and dry waste before handing it over to collection vans will be fined Rs 300 for the first offence and Rs 500 for repeat violations. The drive targets nearly 60 garbage black spots that continue to scar the city despite door-to-door waste collection services. Nashik consequently failed to find a place among the country’s top 10 clean cities in the category of cities with populations above 10 lakh.
The city lost valuable marks in the Swachh Survekshan rankings, where source segregation is a key parameter. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Nashik | Silver Rate in Nashik | Bank Holidays in Nashik | Public Holidays in Nashik | Petrol Price in Nashik | Diesel Price in Nashik | CNG Price in Nashik | LPG Price in Nashik Stay updated with the latest Nashik news.
“Our objective is to reduce garbage black spots as much as possible before the Kumbh Mela,” said Avesh Palod, director of the solid waste management department of Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC). “Monetary action will be taken against those who dump waste in open spaces or public places instead of handing it over to collection vans,” Palod added. Palod said dedicated teams have already been constituted in every division to monitor compliance and ensure the crackdown is implemented uniformly across the city.
Special enforcement squads have been formed in all six civic divisions. Led by divisional sanitation inspectors, the teams will patrol vulnerable locations and initiate action against violators. The move marks a shift from persuasion to punishment. For years, the civic body relied on awareness campaigns urging residents to segregate waste at source. Compliance, however, remains patchy. Open plots, road corners and vacant spaces continue to attract piles of garbage, creating persistent black spots across the city. Civic officials admit the poor waste-segregation culture has hurt Nashik beyond aesthetics. For a city preparing to welcome lakhs of pilgrims next year, officials believe cleaner streets cannot depend on appeals alone. The message from the civic body is blunt: segregate, cooperate, or pay. Download the TOI App.