Collect a Fine of ₹2,500 from Anyone Found Spitting : Bombay High Court

Spitting has become a "national hobby" in our country! – Court criticises

Mumbai – No citizen has the right to litter public roads in Mumbai. However, spitting has become a “national hobby” in our country, the Bombay High Court observed while directing the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to increase the fine for spitting from the present nominal ₹250 to ₹2,500.

The court made these observations while hearing a batch of petitions concerning pollution, the persistent foul odour, gas emissions and health hazards affecting residents living near the Kanjurmarg dumping ground.

The court further observed,

“If Indore can receive the award for being the cleanest city, why cannot Mumbai achieve the same? This has been possible because of the dedication of the municipal officials there. Why cannot the same be done in Mumbai? If there is the will, it is not difficult to achieve. Keeping public roads free from garbage is the duty of municipal officials. The Municipal Commissioner should direct every ward officer to ensure that garbage lying on public roads is removed immediately.”

The court further stated that

there appears to be a lack of willpower on the part of both the municipal authorities and the citizens. If there is determination, the dream of garbage-free roads can become a reality. It is only because of the lack of such determination that garbage is seen strewn across roads throughout the city. Consequently, during the monsoon, waterlogging occurs, citizens lose their lives after falling into open drains, and various other health-related problems arise.

The Bench also observed that an incident similar to the one at Moshi should not occur at Kanjurmarg. Public awareness should be created so that citizens do not dump garbage or solid waste on public roads and segregate waste properly. Efforts should be made to strictly implement the Solid Waste Management Rules.

The Bench further clarified that unless such measures are implemented at the grassroots level, the complexities involved in solid waste collection and disposal will not merely remain a public nuisance but will also hamper its effective management.

Editorial Perspective

This is the result of successive governments over the past 78 years failing to instil civic discipline among the public.