Valley
MoFALD to slap litterbugs with fine up to Rs 500
Dropping litter from vehicles would earn you fine, as government is planning to enforce new regulations to deter litterbugs.Anup Ojha
Dropping litter from vehicles would earn you fine, as government is planning to enforce new regulations to deter litterbugs.
The government said on Thursday it would monitor public vehicles across the country and slap those found throwing waste on roads with a fine of Rs 500.
According to a public notice issued by the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD) on Thursday, all public vehicles must ensure they have dustbins or plastic bags so that passengers can dump waste into them instead of tossing them out of the windows.
“The first one month will be a trial period and we will carry out awareness campaigns,” said Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, secretary at MoFALD. “Once the trial period is complete, we will slap litter louts with a fine of Rs 500 or more.”
The public notice was issued after an agreement between representatives of MoFALD and the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs two weeks ago.
According to officials, MoFALD has already written to the stakeholders to this effect. Stickers and pamphlets calling on members of public not to drop litter will be pasted on public vehicles.
The waste collected in the buses will be safely dumped at bus parks and the concerned municipalities then will manage it.
Passengers often tend to toss water bottles, food wrappers and other stuff out of vehicle windows.
Adhikari said if the Rs 500 fine fails to deter litterbugs from throwing waste from public vehicles, stricter measures will be taken and they can be punished as per Solid Waste Management Act, 2068 (2011).
The Act says people throwing waste in non-designated areas and public places are liable to a fine up to Rs 100,000 or three months in jail.