Round-the-clock surveillance of illegal dumping areas in Pune, India, has led to 3,776 violators being fined since October 2024, as reported by The Times of India.
The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation works in tandem with smaller agencies to monitor and take action against the offenders. All complaints are monitored and acted upon by the partner agencies, which have fined multiple construction firms for mismanagement of construction and demolition waste and for failing to follow standard operating procedures.
The PCMC collected 3.6 million Indian rupees (almost $40,000) for 488 SOP violations and 2.7 million rupees (over $30,000) for 550 allegations of dumping debris in public places.
"It's not private builders, but even contractors hired by PCMC for road and development projects are involved in illegal dumping," environmental activist Narendra Chugh said, per the Times. "The civic body must act against its own contractors before targeting others."
Action was also taken against 250 violators for violating the Graded Action Response Plan, a plan to curb pollution, which has so far been implemented only in Maharashtra, Delhi, and a few other civic bodies in India.
Illegal dumping harms both humans and the environment, as untreated waste can contain hazardous materials such as plastic, heavy metals, and pathogens. These can cause irreparable damage to the soil, waterways, animal populations, and air quality.
While some corporations have such deep pockets that they may not care how many fines they incur, it is essential to maintain severe punishment, prevent access to business growth, and encourage public scrutiny to ensure those who build our cities and those who dump illegally in our cities avoid illegal dumping at all costs.
PCMC noted that more action will be taken as they acquire more manpower, and whilst they take 40% of the revenue from the environmental fines, their goal is to deter pollution.
"Our objective is not to generate revenue, but to [instill] discipline among citizens and curb violations. With stronger on-ground enforcement, the deterrence against offenders has become more visible," a PCMC official said, per the Times.
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