The Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) collected a penalty of over one lakh rupees this year for the improper disposal of plastic waste and non-biodegradable items in the city which is about ten times less than the collection of the last year. Even after the State Government lifted the ban from single-use plastic in March to facilitate essential services during Covid-19 pandemic, the corporation continued to impose penalties on those who inappropriately dispose of the plastic waste and non-biodegradable things like thermocol items. However, the officials stated that due to lockdown and the pandemic, MCD could not impose many penalties this year as compared to the last year. Informing this, the municipal health inspector Pushpa Rauthan stated that this year that the corporation imposed 224 penalties under the Plastic and Non-biodegradable garbage (Regulation of use and disposal) Act 2000.
Under this act, people are fined for improper disposal of plastic and non-biodegradable items like burning the thermocol cups or plates or a heap of wrappers and plastic waste, stated Rauthan. She said that the government has lifted the ban from single-use plastic but the corporation has the right to penalise those under this act who choose improper means like burning the plastic waste or dumping it on roadside rather than its proper disposal. According to the officials, the MCD imposed the maximum penalties in July collecting Rs 67,000 with 136 penalties while the total collection so far this year is Rs 1,64,000. Meanwhile, the corporation imposed about 800 penalties last year under the Plastic and Non-biodegradable garbage (Regulation of use and disposal) Act 2000 collecting about Rs 10,82,300 with the maximum penalties imposed in August with 223 penalties collecting Rs 5,22,200.
Wednesday, 23 December 2020 | PNS | Dehradun
