Singapore is known for its civic sense and strict adherence to it even by levying heavy fines on the violators.Of course thanks to the cleanliness of the roads free from littering or any other unhygenic activities strictly enforced by the former Prime Minister Lee Quan Yu.
Now for the first time in India, Chennai Corporation to keep the city clean and free from any unhygenic activities,has embarked upon a programme according to which it would introduce a penalty system from this April, 2008 to try out the offenders who deface the streets, by dumping wastes, spitting, urinating or defacating.The system was announced by the Chennai Mayor M.Subramaniam at the monthly council meet here.
The offences depending upon their nature will attract a fine anywhere between Rs 50 to Rs1000.About 350 sanitary and conservancy inspectors in the respective divisions of the corporations had been given powers to collect penalty.
The Corporation has proposed to levy fine as detailed below :
i)Cleaning utencils in public would attract a fine of Rs 50/-
ii)Washing vehicles in the public would attract a fine of Rs100/-
iii)Failure to segregate waste at source would attract a fine of Rs 100/-
iv)Dumping waste on streets would attract a fine of Rs 100/-
v)Dumping hazardous waste would attract a fine of Rs 500/-
vi)Hawkers failing to possess bins would be charged with Rs 100/- and keeping the proximity unclean would attract a fine of Rs 1,000/-
According to the Chennai Mayor, the corporation would launch a campaign drive so as to keep the city clean, better to live and create awareness among the public as to the new penalty rules.Community bins would not be removed from their places till an awareness is created.
It is good to see that atleast now, Chennai Corporation has come forward with some concrete measures to keep the city clean.But the key lies with the sanitory inspectors who are to levy fine from those violators of the sanitary rules.How far they would be strict and enforce the rules, we don’t know.India is not Singapore.It is known for its corrupt officials.Still we remember that it was Mrs.Gandhi who said that corruption is a world phenomenon.But in India corruption is an art, a profession, an organised sector in business.Let us wait and see, how far Chennai is going to benefit from the new sanitary rules of penalty going to be implemented.