ISLAMABAD: Residents of the Federal Capital on Monday urged the concerned authorities to increase the fine for littering, following garbage piling up at major tourist attraction points during public holidays.
According to the law, people who leave trash in public areas face fines of Rs50 to Rs500 with the penalty doubling for repeat offenders.
Citizen Babar Ali, while expressing his concern, said imposing heavier fines and using social media to report on crackdowns is important because the public will only learn the hard way.
“Being responsible citizens, we should not litter at picnic points as it is our responsibility to keep the environment clean,” he said.
“People who litter are either not aware of the consequences of littering or don’t care how it affects their immediate environment” he added.
Another citizen Sadia said that people do not want to picnic while being surrounded by rubbish by others, but they also don’t want to remove their own rubbish or change their own actions in this context.
She noted that authorities must learn to create incentives such as paying small amounts of money to people who collect cans or paper from other countries.
Another resident Arsalan blamed laziness and the lack of punishments for the growing litter found throughout the city. “Lack of morals, illiteracy and ignorance of the importance of not littering are the main reasons behind littering”, he added.
When contacted, Sanitation Director Sardar Khan Zimri said his department was always prepared to deploy cleaning teams to work round-the-clock and during holidays to catch violators.
He said that the “Clean and Green” drive in Islamabad to sweep streets, clean Nullah water supply leakages and collect garbage is also underway, adding that the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) was trying their best to provide services in available sources.
“We need new and smart campaigns to raise awareness about littering and how it harms our country,” Zimri suggested while adding that the chief commissioner office has been requested to notify all assistant commissioners (AC) and municipal magistrates so that fines against littering are enforced properly.
