The Mangalore City Corporation council at its meeting on Wednesday resolved to impose heavy fine on those who give scope for breeding malaria-causing larvae.
The decision was aimed at containing the growing malaria cases in the city. The council decided to amend more than three-decade-old bylaw to this effect. The fine would be very high particularly on buildings under construction, including apartments.
The council decided to impose Rs. 500 on residential houses excluding flats in apartments, Rs. 5,000 each on flats and commercial buildings, and Rs. 15,500 on buildings under construction.
The meeting decided that if breeding of larvae was found even after imposing the fine, certain facilities given to the buildings by the corporation should be withdrawn and as a last measure building licences or trade licences should be cancelled.
Mayor Mahabala Marla told the council that breeding of larvae had been found recently in 121 under construction buildings. Many of them were apartment buildings.
According to a 1977 bylaw, on “prevention and breeding control of mosquitoes and prevention of malaria and mosquitoes related diseases”, the corporation was allowed to impose a fine of Rs. 50 for the first-time violation and Rs. 15 subsequently.
There were no categories mentioned in the old bye-law. According to corporation officials, the violators continued to ignore their instructions as the fine amount was very less.
Parking feeThe Mayor directed the Joint Commissioner to cancel the award of contract of two contractors collecting parking fee at old service bus stand at Hampankatta and at Hamilton Circle following complaints that they were collecting more fee than fixed by the corporation. He instructed him to forfeit the earnest money deposit of the two contractors with the corporation as they had violated the terms of contract.
The Mayor directed that the engineers should address complaints related to non-functioning of streetlights within a week.
