"Penalty on throwing garbage on roads from September 1," says Agnimitra

The West Bengal government will begin imposing fines for littering and spitting in municipal areas across the state from September 1, Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul announced on Thursday. The Municipal Affairs Department will undertake a three-month awareness and infrastructure development drive before enforcement begins. As part of the initiative, waste bins will be installed at intervals of 100 metres across all municipal areas, while citizens will be informed about the new regulations and encouraged to avoid throwing waste on roads and public spaces.

Paul stated that littering of any kind, including spitting on roads, will attract penalties under the existing municipal laws once the awareness period concludes. The department will also revive waste segregation at the household level as part of its broader cleanliness initiative. The government plans to strengthen civic infrastructure over the next three months to support the implementation of the new measures and improve waste management practices across urban areas.

The state government will also launch a geo-tagged mobile application named ‘Swachha’ on Saturday, initially covering 10 municipalities as a pilot project. Through the application, citizens will be able to photograph accumulated waste and upload the images, enabling civic teams to receive the exact location and respond promptly. The app will be launched in the presence of Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Additionally, the government is implementing a pilot project in the Asansol-Durgapur region focused on scientific waste management, sanitation, hygiene awareness, and cleaner surroundings.