Muzaffarpur: The civic body of Muzaffarpur town has set a deadline next week for residents and shopkeepers to stop throwing garbage on roads and into drains.
The Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation will slap fines on people for dirtying the town from November 10.
Ramesh Prasad, the municipal commissioner, told The Telegraph that the decision had been announce on Wednesday - those who throw waste on the roads and turn the town filthy will be reprimanded.
"The corporation has already set up garbage zones and vats for the residents to throw their waste across the town. The people - residents and shopkeepers alike - usually throw out garbage on the main roads after 9am. This paints a dirty picture of the town, and defames the corporation," said Ramesh. "Now the corporation has decided to go tough on the wrongdoers and will not hesitate to lodge FIRs against those who violate the directive."
Fifteen teams of civic inspectors have been set up to ensure the no-garbage-on-roads order is complied with.
From November 11, the teams will survey the town and if anyone is caught throwing waste on the roads and not in the designated zones for garbage will be fined Rs 500 under provisions of the Bihar Municipal Act 1980.
If anyone misbehaves with the corporation employees doing their job, they too will be dealt with firmly.
All 49 ward councillors have been requested to persuade the residents to lend a helping hand to the garbage-collection team. Residents and shopkeepers have been advised to keep dustbins at home and business from where the garbage-collection team can collect the waste.
Sonam Sinha, a resident of Aam Gola, said this was the first time the civic body has decided to take action on people defacing the roads.
Deputy mayor Man Mardan Shukla said: "If the corporation lodges FIRs against residents and shopkeepers caught throwing garbage on roads, it will discourage others from doing so as well."