Friday, August 18 2006 15:30 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Taking a cue from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's vision of transforming this city into a replica of the swanky Chinese city of Shanghai, Mumbai civic authorities have embarked upon a major cleanliness drive which would make spitting and littering punishable offences.

Commencing October, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) plans to introduce bye-laws which would attract a fine of Rs 500 if a citizen is caught spitting or bathing or littering a public place and Rs 10,000 for co-operative societies which do not maintain clean premises, according to R A Rajeev, Additional Municipal Commissioner.

This is perhaps the first civic body in the country to introduce fines for those found spitting and throwing litters in the city areas, civic sources said.

Housing societies or complexes keeping their premises dirty, storing waste outside the designated area, storing waste in unspecified bins or failing to segregate them as specified will also attract fines ranging between Rs 1,000-to-Rs 10,000.

Similarly, generators of commercial waste like hotels, shops, hawkers and vendors, will be fined between Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000 for not keeping waste bins, not segregating the waste or keeping their premises filthy. Parking a car while municipal sweeping operations are on, will also invite a fine of Rs 5,000.

Political organisations and event organisers will also have to be careful about their advertisements and events as pasting posters or grafiti will invite a fine up to Rs 10,000 while, not clearing the premises within 24 hours of an event will mean forfeiture of deposit ranging between Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000.