Mumbai, the financial capital of the country, is to be held guilty for lack of civic sense in public places not only amongst the lower sections of society but also from the much educated class. According to a senior BMC official, most ‘gentlemen’ are caught callously discarding cigarette butts and empty cigarette packs, while pet poop and puddles under washed cars rank a close third on the city's list of litterbugs.

In August so far, surprisingly, BMC collected a fine of around Rs. 50 lakh for spitting and littering. The figures submitted by BMC's solid waste management department show that in the F (North) Ward, covering the Matunga-Sion region, around 3,994 people were fined a total of Rs. 7.9 lakh for littering and spitting. The ward's dubious lead was followed by the R (Central) Ward of Borivli West where 3,850 offenders were fined Rs. 7.7 lakh. The upscale H (West) Ward of Bandra West saw 3,336 people being fined Rs. 6.67 lakh. The fine for both littering and spitting is Rs. 200. A minimum fine of Rs. 100 is levied for relieving oneself in public, as the offenders are mostly slum dwellers.

Besides, according to an estimate by BMC officials, more than 70,000 people in the city have been fined for spitting in public places between August 2011 and July 2012, bringing in an upwards of Rs. 1.4 crore in fines.