In a stern move to enforce the city-wide ban on waste burning, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has penalised four of its own sanitation workers with fines ten times higher than previous rates. The action follows a media report highlighting the hypocrisy of civic staff openly burning garbage despite a total prohibition on the practice. 

 

 

The lenientness comes to an end as the new rule is applicable for all. Every citizen who burns waste will face the penalty. The controversy began when it was pointed out that while private individuals or institutions were fined Rs 5,000 for burning waste, sanitation workers were only being charged Rs 500. Following the public outcry, the NMC’s Solid Waste Management Department revised its stance to ensure uniformity in punishment. Under new State Government guidelines (GR), every individual found burning waste regardless of their official status will now face a mandatory Rs 5,000 fine. The crackdown specifically penalised four sanitation workers from Ward No 12 in the Dharampeth Zone: Gajra Gaur, Bharti Bagde, Saroj Khare, and Sunanda Khobragade.

 

To ensure strict compliance, the Rs 5,000 fines will be deducted directly from the workers monthly salaries. Chief Sanitation Officer Dr Gajendra Mahalle confirmed that supervisors will also face strict action if they fail to prevent their subordinates from burning waste. “Citizens should understand that by burning waste they are contributing in polluting air. This initiative by NMC states that it is inclined towards reducing air pollution. Every citizens should be aware about their surrounding and should immediately report the waste burning to the concerned authority so that strict actions are taken against them. Also I suggest that NMC should introduce some helpline number to report such actions which will prevent waste burning across city.” Ayush Meshram, a resident expressed his thoughts. The NMC maintains that if sanitation workers themselves are seen violating environmental laws, it sets a poor example for the general public. By standardising the fines, the department aims to curb air pollution and encourage citizens to hand over waste to authorised collectors instead of setting it ablaze. Officials have signaled that this is just the beginning of a broader campaign to monitor and penalise negligence across all municipal zones.