It is not just traffic fines that are likely to burn a hole in your wallet in the city now. Littering, failure to segregate waste properly and hoarding plastic will also cost you dearly.
Since September 1, nearly 200 marshals have been assigned to wards across the city and are teaming up with health inspectors and other Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) staff to catch residents violating rules. In 14 days, they have collected ₹4.74 lakh in fines from residents. Solid waste management violations such as littering, not segregating waste at source and improper discarding of meat waste and construction debris make up the bulk of penalties levied.
BBMP officials said these marshals are assigned to monitor a ward from 6 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Levying penalties is not their only responsibility. “Over the last fortnight, they have also been trying to find reasons why residents litter. If there are lacunae in the waste collection system, then we try to raise the issue with the authorities and ensure these are fixed,” said a marshal.
They found that residents often litter even though the garbage collection system is in place. “They tend to litter in the locality if they are unable to give their garbage when the mini-trucks come for door-to-door collection,” the marshal added.
This monitoring system is already making an impact, say BBMP officials. “Since the beginning of the month, we have seen a 30% decline in littering. There is also a marked improvement in reduction of black spots where garbage is simply dumped,” said a BBMP official.
Currently, 178 marshals are deployed in 174 wards. Another 52 marshals will be deployed soon. The Ex-Servicemen Welfare Society has appointed marshals with the assistance of the Army Placement Node.
These marshals were initially deployed by the BBMP to keep tabs on the quality of food served in Indira canteens. After seeing their success, they were assigned near Bellandur lake to prevent the dumping of waste. Later, the State government gave its approval for 230 marshals to be deployed across the city.
Published - September 16, 2019 12:45 am IST
