Hyderabad: The GHMC has booked 39,495 cases and collected Rs 1.3 crore from those urinating on the roads, throwing garbage in open spaces and putting up illegal banners. The most fines have been collected for littering and footpath encroachment.
The quantum of the fine amount shows just how callously citizens deface their own city. And yet, the corporation could have collected much more in fines by carrying out more regular checks and penalising offenders consistently instead of just having an occasional special drive.
Malcom Wolfe, member of Road Craft, a city-based organisation that works on road safety, estimates that “Over 20 per cent of the roads have been eaten up by encroachments. Evicting encroachers must be a mandate. Footpaths must be released to pedestrians as they are the highest fatality in road accidents.” W. G. Prasanna, chairman, National Council of Rural Institutes, says that “Collection of fines indicates failure of implementation of regulation. Also the Rs 1.3 amount is very little for a population of 1.2 crore. The money collected should be used to regulate the system.”
Marri Aditya Reddy, who is a member of the board of governors of the Hyderabad Public School, says fines are not the solution. The corporation needs to provide infrastructure.
“GHMC has the major responsibility to deliver on its promise of making Hyderabad a World Class city. There are guidelines of operations already in place which citizens are not fully aware of. Imposing a fine is a temporary option. Sense of belonging and ownership should be inculcated. Elected representatives also need to focus on their individual wards,” he said.
