GHMC out to impose fines for wasting water, damaging roads

Hyderabad: Are you washing your house and surroundings, cleaning your vehicles with water and throwing on the main roads leading to water stagnation and damage the roads? Better stop it or else face a fine of Rs 5000 which the GHMC will slap on you.

The GHMC (Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation) in its bid to ensure maintaining cleanliness on roads and to conserve water has put notices in different divisions asking people to use only eco-friendly material like bucket to clean their surroundings instead of water pipes and curb the use of plastic material. People found flouting the norms will be imposed with heavy penalties.

The notice was issued in various circles of GHMC. But the big question is whether this is a policy decision of the GHMC or a decision being implemented by local division offices? When asked, the GHMC head office officials told Hans India that they did not issue any such circular and were not aware of it. But the circle offices like Circle-7 in Charminar zone said that notice was issued and fines are being imposed on those wasting water. "Even though the GHMC and Water Board have conducted various awareness programmes on water wastage, still people were wasting water every day," said a senior officer.

He said GHMC zone officers will conduct surprise visits in the morning every day and impose a penalty on those who waste water to wash their houses, vehicles and shops. Fines will also be imposed on the people who are damaging roads and littering public places.

According to GHMC, the damage of roads would cost several crores for the State government to get them repaired. The people, who are responsible for releasing water on roads, throwing waste, using below 50micron plastic materials, and throwing garbage on the main roads should be imposed a heavy fine as a deterrent.

"Water overflow has been causing heavy damage to roads that were re-carpeted recently. People are being warned of strict action like penalties and criminal cases for those releasing water on road," said the officer.