More than Rs 91 crore in fines, Rs 91,87,84,075, to be precise, has been collected by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) till March 28, 2022, from people who were not wearing masks in public places amid the Covid pandemic. The amount is inclusive of the fines collected by Mumbai Police and Railways.
While the BMC has collected Rs 73,08,44,475, Mumbai Police have collected Rs 18,31,61,400 in fines from those found maskless in public places. Violators on the three railway lines – Western, Harbour and Central – have coughed up fines worth Rs 47,78,200.
The three wards of the city with the highest number of face mask fine cases are – Ward K/W, with 3,271,13 cases (Char Bungalow, Lokhandwala Circle, Jogeshwari (W), Behrambaug, Kevani Pada, Irla, Vile Parle (W), Gilbert Hill, Saat Bungalow, Sahakar Nagar, Juhu Road, Lallubhai Park, Versova, Andheri (W), Juhu; Ward A, with 2,26,536 cases (Cuffe Parade, Colaba, GPO Fort, Nariman Point) and Ward L, with 2,11,362 cases (Kajupada, Saki Vihar Powai, Sakinaka, Chandivli, Pereira Wadi, Nehru Nagar, Vinoba Bhave Nagar, Kirol Road, Hill Road Chunabhatti-Sion, L B S Road, Kurla East and West).
The three wards with the lowest number of face mask fine cases are – Ward M/E, with 46,350 cases (Cheetah Camp, RCF Colony, Vashi Naka Chembur, Bainganwadi, PMG Colony, Indian Oil Nagar, Shivaji Nagar, Milan Colony, BARC, Mankhurd, Govandi); T Ward, with 71,497 cases (Mulund Colony, Neelam Nagar, Nahur Gaon, Sarvodaya Nagar Mulund, Kesar Baug, Ghatipada, Gavanpada, Paanch Rasta, Goshala Road, Hanuman Pada, Mulund East and West) and Ward B, with 84,474 cases (Chinchbandar, Mandvi, Bhendi Bazar, Masjid Bandar, Mohammad Ali Road).
Also, the contract with clean-up marshals who were in charge of fining citizens for not wearing masks ended around three weeks ago and the BMC is reconsidering the replacement of the agency. However, masks continue to remain a mandatory preventive protocol to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Meanwhile, Mumbai reported 36 new cases and zero deaths on Tuesday, with 34 patients being asymptomatic and two being hospitalised.
Since the pandemic first struck in March 2020, a fine of Rs 200 was being imposed on those without masks in public places. Clean-up marshals could be regularly seen at Bandstand, Marine Drive, and other popular tourist places. They would click photographs of the violators before imposing the fine.
