Nagpur: The nuisance detection squad of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has booked 310 cases and recovered Rs2.10 lakh in fines in six days, an average of nearly 52 cases a day, for littering, public urination, spitting and other violations. But the figures also raise a larger question — how many offenders are still going scot-free as citizens continue to encounter garbage-strewn roads, filthy footpaths and polluted public spaces across the city?
The civic body’s own enforcement figures suggest that the 310 cases represent only violations caught by its squads, not the total number of offences committed. Handcart operators, stall owners, paan kiosks, hawkers and small vegetable vendors accounted for the highest number of cases — 130 — for creating unsanitary conditions around their establishments. The NMC recovered Rs52,000 in fines from them. The squad registered 35 cases against shopkeepers for dumping garbage on roads, footpaths and open spaces, recovering Rs14,000. Malls, restaurants, hotels, cinema halls, marriage halls and caterers were booked in 20 cases, with Rs40,000 recovered. Around 19 cases of open defecation and urination were registered, while seven individuals were fined for littering. In a serious violation, a medical practitioner was fined Rs25,000 for disposing of biomedical waste with general garbage. The NMC recovered Rs35,000 in these cases. In a separate enforcement drive, the squad booked 36 cases and recovered Rs2.35 lakh for violations including unauthorised posters on electricity poles, banned plastic bags, roadside construction material and C&D waste dumping, and pollution-causing activities.
With public cleanliness remaining a persistent challenge, NMC’s limited enforcement reach and the relatively low penalties collected warrant scrutiny. Six meat sellers were booked for dumping waste in public places. Seven workshops and garages were booked for dumping waste, and two cases involved burning garbage in public places. Seven hotels were also booked for spreading sewage onto roads after desludging choked chambers and for failing to pay garbage charges.