To encourage appropriate Covid-19 behavior among Mumbai residents, the city’s civic body has decided to provide ‘free’ masks to those found without a face covering in public and also charge them a fine of Rs 200.
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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in a statement on Sunday said that from April to November 28 it took action against 4.85 lakh citizens for not wearing masks in public places and charged more than Rs 10.7 crore as a fine.
The BMC said that when an offender, after being fined, goes ahead without a face mask, the goal of implementing the Covid-19 prevention protocol remains unfulfilled.
“Therefore, to meet the target, the citizen in question will receive a free mask and will be charged a fine of Rs 200,” he said.
The receipt for the corresponding fine will also mention the free mask, he said.
To curb the spread of infection in the post-Diwali season, the civic body has increased inspection drives in the city, and violation of the mask rule carries a fine of Rs 200.
From April to November 28, the maximum number of 32,010 citizens without masks were fined in the K-west district, which includes areas such as Juhu and Versova, a BMC official said, adding that they were charged Rs 63.39 lakh as a fine.
In addition to disinfecting hands and maintaining social distance, regular use of masks is necessary to control the spread of the coronavirus infection, he added.
As of Sunday, the city of Mumbai reported a total of 2.82,821 Covid-19 cases and 10,865 deaths due to the disease, according to official figures.
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