The Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat has formed cleanliness and hygiene task forces in every gram panchayat to ensure solid waste segregation and management and also for villages to remain open defecation-free and other related cleanliness issues.
Announcing this here on Monday, ZP CEO Kumara said that the panchayats were entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining the overall hygiene and cleanliness in their limits. It was their responsibility to ensure that residents segregate domestic waste into wet and dry and convert wet waste on their premises into manure, prevent throwing of trash in public places apart from many other tasks under the Swatch Bharath Mission.
The task forces, Mr. Kumara said, have to ensure scientific disposal of wet and dry wastes, get closed circuit television cameras installed at black spots to prevent littering, undertake patrolling near black spots round the clock in shifts, register FIR with the police against those throwing litter, facilitate the gram panchayat to impose fines on such people and also facilitate communication to the Transport Department to cancel registration of vehicles throwing trash in public places.
They would have to arrange for cleaning of black spots and beautify them to discourage further littering, Mr. Kumara said. Task forces should also ensure that those generating bulk waste (more than 50 kg), enterprises and meat sellers handle waste on their own. The task force should hold meetings every fortnight to take follow-up action.
Mr. Kumara said that the panchayats have the authority to impose penalty and take legal action against those littering in public places and failing to scientifically handle solid waste under the Karnataka Panchayat Raj (Solid Waste Management) Model Rules 2020. Up to ₹1,000 penalty could be levied against individuals spitting, littering, burning waste or dumping waste in public places. If these were done by generators of bulk waste, a fine of ₹5,000 could be imposed on them, the CEO said.
Similarly, complaints against vehicles dumping waste in public places could be made to the Transport Department under the Motor Vehicles Act, to the Assistant Commissioner under the Code of Criminal Procedure and to the jurisdictional police under the Karnataka Police Act for imposing penalty and other actions. Task forces could facilitate action to cancel trade licence of commercial establishments that do not handle waste scientifically.
Mr. Kumara urged panchayats to effectively implement the rules thus ensuring sustainable development of villages.
