The Punjab government has introduced new rules to tighten cleanliness across the province, with fines of up to Rs50,000 for violations of waste management regulations. The measures set out a schedule of penalties for littering, improper disposal and unlicensed waste handling.
Littering on roads and public places will attract a fine of Rs10,000. Improper disposal of dead animals and industrial waste will cost Rs50,000, the highest penalty under the new rules, while commercial establishments that fail to maintain cleanliness will face a fine of Rs25,000.
Collecting, transporting or sorting waste without a licence will result in a fine of Rs10,000. The rules cover the full chain of waste handling, from the moment rubbish is thrown away to the way it is collected, carried and sorted.
Penalties will be doubled for repeat violations, meaning that anyone caught breaking the rules a second time will pay twice the original fine. The doubling provision is intended to discourage repeat offending and to make the penalties bite harder on those who ignore the rules.
The new schedule leaves no part of the waste chain outside the rules. Rubbish thrown on a road or in a public place, dead animals or industrial waste dumped in the wrong place, a business that fails to keep its premises clean, and waste collected, carried or sorted without a licence are all covered, each with its own penalty.
Managing Director of the Suthra Punjab Agency Imran Munir said 18 field monitoring officers had been authorised as Waste Management Inspectors to impose the fines. The officers will be responsible for enforcing the new rules on the ground across the province.
The rules apply across Punjab and cover both public spaces and commercial premises. Littering on a road or in a public place, dumping dead animals or industrial waste in the wrong place, and failing to keep a business premises clean are all covered by the new schedule of fines.
The clean-up push is the latest step by the provincial government to tighten waste management. With authorised inspectors now in place and fines set out in detail, the authorities will be able to penalise violations directly, and repeat offenders will face penalties twice as heavy as the first time.
