500 fine for littering at Hussain Sagar

There have been plans to have parks like NTR Gardens, Lumbini Park under CCTV surveillance, so that littering in these premises could be monitored

It’s in the habit of a Hyderabadi to litter on roads, in drains and of course in the Hussain Sagar. Though dustbins, garbage collection centres and puja material collection centres, have been installed, most prefer to throw waste in the lake, contributing their part in lake pollution.

From April if you were spotted littering in the lake, you would be fined. The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) officials have been contemplating to have the lake under the surveillance of Closed Circuit Tele Vision (CCTV) cameras. Though the idea of fines was proposed by Buddha Purnima Project Authority (BPPA) earlier, the HMDA officials insisted on having CCTV cameras to ensure that no legal tussles turn up when the rule would be implemented.

The BPPA officials said that this new initiative would be a part of the ongoing Hussain Sagar Catchment Improvement Project (HCIP). Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) would provide funds for procuring cameras.

“We would implement this from the onset of the summer vacations i.e. last week of April. We have been in talks with managements of schools, colleges, IT firms, NGOs, et al to aid us in creating awareness among public about conservation of the lake,” said a senior official with BPPA.

“There would be a control room at the BPPA office and the CCTV camera feed would be scrutinised on real time basis by officials at the control room. We would employ security guards alongside the Hussain Sagar, who would issue challans to the offenders. We would be slapping a fine of Rs 500 for first time violator, Rs 1,000 for second time and Rs 5,000 for repeat violators,” shared RP Khajuria, environment member, HMDA.

There have been plans to have parks like NTR Gardens, Lumbini Park under CCTV surveillance, so that littering in these premises could be monitored.