Though welcomed by citizens, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation's (BMC) decision to impose spot fines on air polluters triggers concerns about the potential misuse of the penalties in the absence of transparent mechanisms for enforcing them.

The spot fines, which will average over Rs 45 lakh per month, based on the recoveries over the past week, came into force after the civic body stepped up action against polluters in the city.

BMC attributes the move to a significant decline in the quality of air in the state capital; however, the timing of the intensified campaign remains suspect as it coincided with the release of performance data for 131 cities included in the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

The data, released by the Government of India, noted that Bhopal had recorded a one per cent growth in the concentration of PM10 stagnation, despite fairly clear guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

Even as BMC discontinued the practice of garbage burning, annulled the distribution of free firewood to the poor, initiated action against eateries that consume solid fuels, and stepped up its campaign for spot fines, the civic body has stopped short of formalising any of these moves by presenting them at the recent Mayor-in-Council meeting and the subsequent meeting of the city council.

The absence of ratifications for the campaign is a pointer towards the civic administration's desire to persist with discretionary action against polluters, a prospect that is almost certain to derail the anti-pollution drive in the near future.

Last year, too, the BMC had initiated action against eateries using tandoors during the peak pollution season of winter, but the campaign had dwindled within a few months.

Also missing is transparency in the spot fine mechanism, which currently ranges between Rs 500 and Rs 10,000, with no clear administrative or even scientific reasoning to explain the gap between the penalties.

The civic body's reluctance to lay out a clear framework for its moves places immense power in the hands of BMC staffers—including contractual workers—who will be able to selectively impose these levies in a scenario reminiscent of the days of the Inspector Raj.