Shopkeepers to pay fine if caught littering roads

As an initiative to keep the city clean and green, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Tuesday has ordered all the shopkeepers to keep two dustbins outside their shops.

The GHMC provided shopkeepers with two dustbins each in Hyderabad and the defaulters will be fined with the minimum amount if they are found throwing litter on roads.

GHMC plans to start 'Swachh Survekshan' from February 4 in which it is taking a step to keep the city clean.

GHMC Commissioner, Janardhan Reddy told ANI, "The 'Swachh Survekshan' programme will begin in February first week. For this, all cities will compete and the best city will be awarded."

"We started a mission where we asked all the shop keepers to throw the garbage in the dustbin otherwise they will be charged with the minimum amount. The shop keepers will be given time till February 4 in which they have to place a dustbin in their shop," he added.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Savar a fruits seller told ANI, "GHMC has taken a very good step to keep the city clean. But the public who agree in front later on throw it on roads for which we are not responsible. We request GHMC to create awareness in public places too and charge them also".

"All the shop keepers are given dustbins and we are throwing in them from that day onwards. And we should not be responsible if public throw on the streets, also we should not be punished for the work which we haven't done," another fruit seller, Mohammed Babumiya told ANI.

Further on, GHMC area in-charge, Kumar said "as an initiative taken up by 'Swachh Survekshan' we gave dustbins to all the shops in this area and requested them to throw the litter in that itself."

"People are following it and we will not be able to see much litter on the roads. Our cleaners will collect the dustbin for every three hours and try to keep the premises clean," he quoted.