india

Updated: Apr 29, 2020 17:13 IST

Masks, which have become common in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, are now contributing to litter in many places.

To discourage such a trend, the police in Kerala’s Wayanad have imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on people caught littering the streets with masks.

“We will fine offenders Rs 5000 and if they fail to cough up the fine we will register a case against them under the relevant provisions of the Epidemic Act which carries a maximum punishment of five years in jail. We need to discourage littering so a heavy fine is required. Attitudinal change is a must in such trying times. People will have to rise to the occasion,” said Wayanad’s superintendent of police E Rajaram.

Health experts say dumped masks could facilitate super spread of Covid-19. In Wayanad, shops which do not provide hand sanitizers or soaps for customers will also be booked. They will have to cough up Rs 1,000 for the first offence and Rs 5,000 for a subsequent offence.

Leading the battle against Covid-19 in Wayanad is a young collector, Dr Adeela Abdulla (34) who is also a qualified doctor.

“Wayanad is an ecologically sensitive district that has more than 70% forest area. So we have to be strict. In pandemic days, masks are part of our life but at the same time we need to know how to use and dispose of it,” said the 2012 batch IAS officer who took many proactive steps in conjunction with the district police chief to make Wayanad a green zone.

“My district shares borders with two states, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. So we have to be strict as people cross over from both sides. There is no compromise on masks. Not Covid-19 alone, it can check other respiratory tract infections also,” she said.

Wayanad is represented by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the Lok sabha.

Taking a cue from Wayanad many local bodies in the state said they will give enough lessons to the public on how to wear and dispose of masks. They said many firms have started designer masks to suit all occasions but no lessons are imparted on wearing and removing masks.

“We have seen after wearing masks people adjust it with their hands frequently. This defeats the very purpose,” said a civic body member.

Kerala recorded 485 cases of Covid-19 out of which 359 have recovered and four have died.