The Times of India                24.01.2014 

NGO fines Rs 20k for littering city

NASHIK: Amulya Clean Up Services, an NGO, has fined 20,000 people for littering the city in a period of almost a year. The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) had appointed the NGO last year to make the city garbage-free by way of fining offenders.

After carrying out awareness campaigns amongst citizens, the NGO began collecting fines from defaulters. However, Amulya came under the scanner of activists and corporators, who complained that the NGO was not visible in the city doing the work it was assigned. The NGO then decided to revamp its style of functioning by adding proper uniforms, identity cards, more volunteers and strict enforcement of fine from December 1. The new system, which came into force only this January, is to yet kick off full-fledged - only 52 volunteers on the field against its target of 100. Earlier, there were only 38 volunteers on field. The NGO began its work from January 26 last year.

"We have not been able to do much in the last 2-3 months. We have been training our staff for strict enforcement of fines. From this January we have gradually started with the new system and will be implementing it regularly at the earliest," coordinator of the NGO Rahul Gujrathi said. "With the mayor's instructions to create more awareness against littering among citizens in select prabhags, we have got 70 people working on the project, including 20 women volunteers and 10 office staff. The awareness drive will continue from February 1 to 9, after which, we will start fining offenders." Responding on the complaints that the NGO's volunteers were not seen on the river banks where garbage, nirmalya and other waste were being dumped rampantly, Gujrathi said, "Out of the 30 women of self-help groups, and the sanitary employees, who are cleaning the banks of the river, 10 will work for us and collect fine from offenders. But this will happen only after February 10. We needed the aid of women volunteers as the river banks are mainly filled with the local women cleaning clothes and utensils. In the past year, from January 26 last year to January 14, we have fined 20,000 people for littering, spitting and dirtying the city."

An NMC official informed that the NGO had collected Rs 28.77 lakh in a year. "While 60% of the amount will be given to the NGO, 40% will be pocketed by the NMC," the official said.

Fines were collected from people throwing garbage on the roads instead of disposing it in garbage vans, defecating, spitting, littering, dumping construction material on the roadside, throwing nirmalya and other things into the river. The drive was carried out near Mahamarg Bus Stand, Central Bus Stand, Pathardi Phata, Ramkund and Muktidham areas.