Litterbugs face hefty fines in Punjab

The provincial government on Thursday began billing urban property owners for sanitation services under the Suthra Punjab programme, while authorities in Lahore announced a crackdown on littering with fines of up to Rs500,000 for serious violations. The Punjab Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department will issue sanitation fee bills to owners of around five million residential and commercial properties in urban areas across the province. The government expects to collect around Rs40 billion annually through the new system. According to officials, property owners will receive bills covering six months of sanitation fees and have 60 days to make payment. Late payments will be subject to penalties. The government has assigned responsibility for billing and collection to the excise department. Data integration between the department and the Suthra Punjab programme has been completed, with bills to be printed using Urban Unit data and sent to the relevant regions. Inspectors in the respective excise circles will be responsible for delivering the bills. The distribution of bills in urban areas is scheduled to begin on Friday. The excise department will collect the sanitation fee alongside property tax under the new mechanism. Earlier government-approved rates included monthly charges ranging from Rs300 for residential properties measuring up to five marla to Rs5,000 for those exceeding 40 marla, while commercial units are subject to charges ranging from Rs500 to Rs3,000, depending on their size. Meanwhile, authorities in Lahore have announced a crackdown on littering, with the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) and Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) set to jointly monitor violations. The first phase will target 10 major markets in the city. According to LWMC Chief Executive Officer Sheryar Khan, PSCA cameras will be used to identify people found littering, after which LWMC field staff will reach the location and take action. Field staff will be able to show shopkeepers video evidence of the violation and impose fines ranging from Rs5,000 to Rs50,000, according to the CEO. Those found polluting the environment or burning waste could face fines of up to Rs500,000. The initial list of major markets includes Mall Road, Jail Road, Ferozepur Road, Gulberg Main Boulevard and Liberty Chowk, among others. Khan said the enforcement would be expanded after the initial 10 to other markets, commercial centres and people found throwing waste from vehicles. Earlier, Suthra Punjab authorities in Lahore had introduced an e-challan system against littering. Under the applicable laws, littering in public places can attract fines ranging from Rs1,000 to Rs10,000, while failure to keep the area outside a house, shop or factory clean can result in fines ranging from Rs1,000 to Rs50,000. Burning waste can attract a fine of up to Rs500,000 and imprisonment for up to two years.