Owners to be penalised if pets litter on roads in Delhi

Residents of the national capital whose pets are found littering on roads may soon be taken to task by civic authorities.

Municipal corporation officials have decided to penalise people whose pets are found littering on roads, a move aimed at sprucing up city roads and surroundings as part of the 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.'

"This is a major problem. Owners of pets usually take them out on roads late in the evenings or early mornings and make them litter and squalor on roads, leaving the roads filthy. This practice has to stop. People in no country practice such things," said North Delhi Municipal Commissioner Pravin Kumar Gupta.

Gupta said they will undertake a drive as part of which sanitary inspectors will visit various localities and challan owners whose pets would be spotted littering.

As part of the drive, officials will first sensitise people over the issue for some days and then start issuing challans.

Deputy Commissioner, Civil Lines, NDMC, Vijay Bidhuri, said the penalties have to be heftier to act as a deterrent.

"People have to take responsibility of their pets, They just can't take their pets out to litter on roads," said Bidhuri.

Municipal officials are also urging the Delhi government to approve draft of Delhi Cleanliness and Sanitation Bye-Laws which was sent to it in September 2013.

Under the anti-littering law, spitting, defecating and bathing in public places would invite hefty penalties from municipal inspectors who would issue challans on the spot.
According to South Delhi Municipal Commissioner Manish Gupta, who is also the acting Commissioner of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation, hefty fines will be imposed against litterbugs once the sanitation bye-laws come into effect.

"Now, even if we challan, the amount is very minimal, ranging from Rs 50 to Rs 100 for creating insanitary conditions. But, under the sanitation bye-laws the fines are greater, going up to thousands of rupees for some offences."

Also people throwing trash in public places will be fined ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 500.