Pune’s Diwali Fallout: Firecracker Stall Holders Face Fines for Environmental Negligence

Pune, 19th December 2023: Despite stringent regulations imposed by the Pune municipal corporation (PMC) to control pollution in the city, firecracker stall holders seem to have flouted these rules during the Diwali period. The stall holders, who had set up shop in the riverbed with permission from the property management department, left behind a significant amount of waste, prompting the municipal corporation to take action.

The Kasba-Vishrambaugwada Ward Office has proposed that the fine for unsanitary behavior be recovered from the deposit amount of 34 stall holders who operated in the riverbed. The estate management department had granted permission for the stalls, and they were allocated through an online auction.

While the stall holders were instructed to dispose of their daily waste responsibly, it appears that these guidelines were not followed. The area around the stalls and the garbage stored beneath them remained unchanged even after Diwali. Despite the removal of stalls, the waste left by the stall holders persisted.

Ward Officer Amol Pawar took note of the environmental negligence by firecracker stall holders in the backdrop of increasing pollution in the city. In response to the lapse in adherence to guidelines, employees of the health department in the ward office were reprimanded. Subsequently, it was decided to take punitive action against the stall holders by the health inspector.

The stall holders, who were granted business permission by the Estate Management Department of the Municipal Corporation, had submitted a deposit amount. Assistant Commissioner Amol Pawar informed that the ward office has proposed to recover the penalty amount from this deposit.

The planned punitive action against the stall holders for leaving the riverbed in an unsatisfactory state was agreed upon by all 34 stall holders. However, the administration revealed that the stall holders are contesting the fine, stating that they will not pay without prior notice.

According to the municipal corporation rules, the stall holders face a minimum fine of five hundred rupees, and they will only receive their deposit amount after presenting the receipt of payment to the ward office, as confirmed by Pawar.