GVMC officials seal a shop during a sanitation inspection in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) sealed 58 shops on Thursday (October 8, 2026) for dumping waste on roads and in public places, and imposed penalties of ₹4.36 lakh. Inspections were carried out in all 10 zones after Commissioner Ketan Garg ordered strict action against shops and commercial establishments that break sanitation rules.
Mr. Garg said GVMC accorded the highest priority to maintaining cleanliness and sanitation across the city. He said he had directed all Zonal Commissioners and public health officials to take strict action, in accordance with the prescribed regulations, against shopkeepers and commercial establishments dumping waste on roads and in public places.
Following these instructions, officials conducted special inspections across all 10 zones under GVMC jurisdiction and initiated enforcement action against commercial establishments found violating sanitation regulations.
Providing zone-wise details, the Commissioner said two shops were sealed in the Bheemili zone, with penalties amounting to ₹40,000; 16 shops in the Madhurawada zone, with penalties of ₹94,000; 14 shops in the East zone, with penalties of ₹43,000; and eight shops in the North zone, with penalties of ₹55,500.
He said a total of 80 inspections were conducted across the 10 zones, resulting in the sealing of 58 shops and the imposition of penalties, and penalties were imposed on another 22 establishments without sealing them.
The Commissioner advised shopkeepers and commercial establishments not to dispose of waste generated from their premises on roads, in drains or at public places. Instead, they should store the waste in dustbins and hand it over to CLAP vehicles every day.
He directed officials to ensure efficient waste collection from both residential and commercial areas, strengthen CLAP vehicle operations and streamline waste collection trips, the civic body said in a post on X.
During a field inspection along Allipuram Main Road in Wards 32, 33 and 34, Mr. Garg ordered the sealing of a shop found dumping waste in the open and imposed a penalty of ₹25,000, the post said.
Published – October 09, 2026 05:37 pm IST
