Environment Ministry Plans 3-Step Crackdown: Fines, Seizures, and Driving Bans

The Ministry of the Environment is planning to introduce significantly harsher penalties for illegal waste dumping, including heavier fines and the potential seizure of vehicles. The move, announced amid a national crackdown on environmental pollution, aims to deter those who blight ecosystems, particularly on wasteland and sugar cane fields.

The proposed legislative changes under consideration go beyond increased fines, potentially allowing for the confiscation of vehicles involved and even the temporary revocation of driving rights for those vehicles.

Minister of the Environment Rajesh Bhagwan has reaffirmed the authorities’ commitment to this “relentless campaign,” stating, “We will be without pity and we are coming with an amendment to the law to impose more severe penalties.”

He added that the Environment Police are at the forefront of this battle and called on the public to become “guardians of the environment” and report illegal practices.

On-the-Spot Fine Issued in North Region Operation

The announcement follows an immediate example of the current crackdown. Just last Saturday, October 25, at 10:40 am, a driver was intercepted and fined Rs 25,000 during a “Keep Watch” operation conducted by the Environment Police in the northern region, specifically Morcellement Saint-Joseph, Arsenal.

The lorry driver was caught red-handed dumping construction waste on an unused piece of land. In addition to the fixed penalty fine, the driver was ordered to clear all the deposited waste.

Statistics Reveal Scale of Illegal Dumping

Official statistics underscore the need for these intensified measures. Since the start of the year, Environment Police officers have recorded 69 proven cases of illegal dumping, involving more than 55 lorries.

Furthermore, over the same period, 1,045 offences for minor littering have been established.

These figures show that areas such as wasteland and agricultural zones, like sugar cane fields, are frequently targeted as unauthorised dumping grounds, raising concerns over soil and groundwater contamination.

Source: Defi Media