Darj civic body plea to keep town clean

SNS, DARJEELING,  23 APRIL 2022: In an effort to keep Darjeeling town clean, the Municipality here has issued a notice, warning action against anyone flouting the garbage-dumping rules. The civic body has also specified certain timings for people to dump their waste.

"We are trying to keep the Municipality area in Darjeeling clean, with the staff in the conservancy department working very hard from three o'clock in the morning, collecting garbage from various places. However, people are not supporting us, as they are not throwing garbage in the vats. Moreover; even though garbage is collected by our staff we are seeing that the vats and other places are again filled with garbage," said Gopal Pariyar, a ward councillor and a member of the Darjeeling Municipality conservancy department.

"Looking at all this, a notice has been issued by the Municipality, maintaining that action will be taken if the rules are not followed," he added.

The notice states that under Section 270, 271 and 272 of the West Bengal Municipal Act 1993,  "depositing or throwing any solid waste in contravention of the provisions of this Act is punishable with fine."

"In view of the above, all residents, hoteliers, restaurant owners, hawkers, business houses, shopkeepers are hereby requested to throw garbage between 7 pm and 6 am in the designated Municipal garbage vats in their respective areas only," said the notice, adding that all shops are to keep dustbins outside their shops.

It also maintained that open garbage disposal in vats was prohibited and littering and throwing waste in undesignated areas was an offence.

"Anyone found violating this rule shall be dealt with as per the provisions of the above Act," the notice reads. According to Mr Pariyar, the amount of fine to be levied had not been fixed yet, while he mainly laid emphasis on hoteliers, especially those who were running their establishments on lease.

"There are many businessmen who have come from outside and run hotels on lease here. They do not seem to care about Darjeeling remaining clean, and we will take strict action against them if they are found engaged in disposing garbage carelessly," he alleged.