The Municipal Corporation on Monday started a campaign from Sector 34 to make the city free of construction waste. In the next two months, construction waste will be removed from across all sectors, colonies and villages. Thereafter, a fine will be imposed on the residents who throw construction waste.

While the amount of fine is Rs 500 as per the Municipal Act, the MC can impose carrier charges on the defaulters which will depend on the quantity of the construction waste. This implies that the defaulters will be required to pay the expenses incurred on picking the construction waste and dumping it at the authorised site.

The drive was flagged off by Mayor Subhash Chawla in the presence of area councillor Harjinder Kaur and other officials. Different dates have been fixed for various sectors. All the three road divisions of the MC will be undertaking the work.

Apart from roadsides and open spaces, the drive will be carried out in the back lanes and road gullies as well. Special teams have been constituted for the purpose. A flying squad comprising three members and one security person will be deployed for keeping a check round the clock in the wards to curb throwing of construction waste at unauthorised places.

The Municipal Corporation will authorise some places as malba dumping sites. Mayor Subhash Chawla said, "A part of the construction waste collected will be utilised to fill up the low-lying areas of the sectors. The pits will be filled up. This was done during the drive today. Within two months all areas will be free of construction waste. Thereafter, the residents will be fined for any violations." 

The mayor appealed to resident welfare associations and NGOs to participate in the campaign. In sectors where the drive will be started, the work for pruning as well as painting the curb channels has also been initiated with the aim of sprucing up the area.

The efforts of the MC to prepare Malba Bylaws have not borne fruit. While a draft was prepared a few years back, it could not be finalised.

Meanwhile, the councillors of the Congress said they were not made a part of the drive. They alleged that they were not even informed about the initiative. However, Chawla said the officers had started the drive and invited him for inaugurating it.