The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has collected Rs 43.82 crore in fines till April 1, 2021. The civic body had started fining Mumbaikars for not wearing masks from April last year. Initially the fine amount was Rs 1,000 however later it was slashed down to Rs 200.
As per the BMC data, total 1.73 lakh violators were fined at K West (KW) ward (Andheri West, Juhu, Ville Parle) in the past one year, which is the highest amongst all the other wards. Following which 1.27 lakh violators were fined from K east (KE) ward (Andheri East) and 1.22 lakh violators were fined from L ward (Ghatkopar).
Senior civic officials said, these wards are commercial zones which has a heavy floating population, due to which the rate of violators fined daily is also high in these wards.
Meanwhile, Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner and in-charge of public health in BMC has said that even though cases are rising in the city, there is no chance of increasing the fine amount immediately.
"According to latest state government orders the maximum fine amount would be Rs 500, however in Mumbai we are not planning to hike the fine amount anytime soon," Kakani told FPJ.
Senior officials of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) have said that now that more marshals have been deployed, the rate of mask violators being fined everyday has also increased with time.
"At present there are 100-150 marshals deployed for collecting fines in each ward, last year we had only 500 marshals in all the 24 wards," said an official.
Alongside the BMC, the Mumbai police has collected around Rs 4.88 crores in fines from people for not wearing masks and ticket inspectors of Western, Central and Harbour lines have collected Rs 44.24 lakh in fine amounts.
The BMC along with Mumbai Police and Railways have collected Rs 49.15 crores in fine amount.
