Bhubaneswar, Feb. 20: The civic body will take stringent action against anyone found dumping garbage on roadsides from March 1.

From next month, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation will impose fines of up to Rs 5,000 on anyone found dumping waste anywhere apart from the designated areas.

All households, shops, vending zones, hotels and restaurants and offices will be under the purview of the fine.

At a meeting on implementation of the solid waste management rules here today, municipal commissioner Krishan Kumar said that no one would be spared if found dumping waste here and there.

The Environment Protection Act, 1986, and the revised Municipal Waste Disposal Rules, 2000, both mention that every household or commercial establishment should have their own garbage bins.

A senior civic official said that the residents of the city would also have to ensure that their garbage bins were placed in a manner that it made it easy for solid waste management staff members to collect and transport the bins.

Kumar visited areas surrounding Bhubaneswar railway station recently, where several instances of violation of waste management rules reportedly irked him.

After inspecting some areas near the railway station, he tweeted: "Sanitation around railway station is not up to mark. Fines to be levied on railway station manager, hotels and vendors."

He made another visit to Baramunda bus stand, where, sources said, things were no better.

The civic officials have now pulled up their socks after the visits of the commissioner. As a result, the municipal corporation has recently collected fines to the tune of Rs 52,850 from various commercial establishments at Baramunda bus stand and near the railway station for flouting garbage dumping rules in just two days. The civic officials have also asked the vendors to put individual dustbins and "No Spitting" boards in front of each vending zone.

Bhubaneswar was ranked 24 among 73 Indian cities in the recently concluded Swachh Sarvekshan or cleanliness survey.