Bhubaneswar: Sanitation and Hygiene Inspection for Neat Environment (SHINE), a dedicated team, engaged by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) will keep vigil on habitual sanitation violators in the City. As per BMC sources, as many as 10 enforcement teams have been taking measures to improve sanitation and stop sale of single-use plastic items in the City. The team has so far seized 2.6 tonne of plastic with the temporary closure of 257 shops within BMC limits. The shops have been fined for maintaining inadequate sanitation practices and hindering public health. The enforcement team took action against offenders by imposing fines on them.
A total Rs 4.4 lakh was collected from more than 700 violators, informed BMC officials. “Not only limiting its vigilant work on single-use plastic, the team has also been useful for guiding and rectifying the unhygienic habits of agencies as well as citizens,” officials said. “Some of the practices, which cause ill fare in certain pockets, have also been addressed by the team,” officials said.
Subsequent warnings have been issued to shopkeepers for littering in public places and repeated violators were fined a total amount of Rs 13.44 lakh, BMC officials said. As per officials, the enforcement team has also contributed towards hassle-free mobility of people in the City as debris generated during construction, renovation and demolition of buildings creates hazardous situations. “The BMC team conducted sensitisation drive asking the public to apply for approval before dumping any material on designated places. However, frequent violators were fined and a total of Rs 12.97 lakh was collected in the drive,” officials said. “The team has been trained to show polite behaviour towards citizens. They counsel the agencies and citizens not to repeat the practices that cause hindrances to public health and sanitation,” said Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil.