Pune Municipal Corporation Cracks Down on Litter Offenders in Kothrud, Imposes Heavy Fines

In an unprecedented operation, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Health department’s Kothrud-Bavdhan ward office, on September 7, revealed the identities of more than 35 litter offenders and levied fines over Rs 35,000.

Ram Sonawane, the PMC Health Inspector for the Kothrud-Bavdhan Ward Office, shared with Pune Pulse, “On September 7th, we launched an initiative to identify individuals responsible for illegal waste dumping in public areas. Through this operation, we were able to obtain contact numbers and home addresses of the offenders, enabling us to track them down. Additionally, we conducted inspections of various society projects.”

Ram added, “The civic body had granted approval for the construction and renovation of new societies under the condition that they incorporate waste management, rainwater harvesting, and solar power systems. However, we encountered issues with some developers failing to implement these requirements. Consequently, after inspecting all new societies and engaging with developers, chairpersons, and secretaries, our team issued directives for the commencement of these essential projects. We intend to conduct such operations regularly.”

Further details reveal that the team was assembled under the guidance of Kedar Vaze, the ward officer of the Kothrud Bavdhan Ward Office. Health inspectors Ram Sonawane, Sachin Lohkare, Vaijinath Gaikwad, and Karan Kaumbhar were integral members of the team. The initiative also served as an educational opportunity to enlighten the public on proper wet waste management practices and responsible handling.