Organisers will no longer be able to escape from their responsibility of keeping the public places clean and litter-free after organising public gatherings and meetings across the country.
In case they fail to do so, their security money deposited during obtaining permission will be forfeited and will be used by the concerned civic bodies to clean the area, as per recent Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the Urban Development Ministry on Tuesday.
The SOP comes as part of Ministry’s Swachchh Bharat Mission to ensure cleanliness and litter-free public places. “The organisers will be required to pay security deposit for obtaining permission for the events. Security deposit to be made will be Rs10,000 for a gathering of up to 500 persons, Rs50,000 for 50,000 persons and Rs1,00,000 for over 50,000 persons.
“In case of default, concerned municipal bodies will undertake cleaning operations using the deposit money,” said a senior UD Ministry official. The decision will be implemented with immediate effect and communication in this regard has been sent to all the states, he said. Permission will not be granted in case security is not deposited.
The Ministry has taken serious note of spoiling of public places through littering of water bottles, left- over food items, used flowers, packaging material, wrappers etc during public gatherings and meetings besides non-provisioning of public conveniences adversely affecting the hygiene in the surroundings.
The organizer shall ensure adequate garbage collection bins and adequate public conveniences as per the norms indicated at his own cost through agencies designated by the municipal body or through his own alternative arrangements, as per new norms.
Adequate number of cleaning staff will have to be deployed to ensure proper cleanliness of the premises, transportation of the garbage to the nearest waste storage location designated by the municipal body will have to be ensured.
For events to be held on public/open spaces not earmarked for gatherings, where permission is taken directly from the police, organizer shall furnish the said undertaking and security deposit to the police, says the norms.