A few days ago, a garbage supervisor was beaten up in Rajarajeshwarinagar for telling a resident to segregate waste. More recently, a marshal appointed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to catch litterbugs and levy fines was assaulted.
In the wake of these incidents, civil society members submitted a letter to Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao on Friday seeking protection for officials of the Solid Waste Management Cell, BBMP. This includes marshals, senior health inspectors and supervisors.
They also urged Mr. Rao to convene a meeting with active citizens’ groups and senior officials of BBMP to discuss enforcement of the plastic ban, segregation and collection of waste, and also the need for awareness campaign in all police stations. Making all police quarters and offices zero waste centres should also be taken up, they said.
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Nearly 20 different organisations working in solid waste management have evinced interest in attending the proposed meeting.
Lakshmikanth from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), who met Mr. Rao on Friday, said the Police Commissioner discussed these issues with them.
Following a couple of attacks, BBMP Commissioner B.H. Anil Kumar tweeted: “BBMP marshals and health officials are empowered to stop public littering. Obstructing a public servant from carrying out their duties is a punishable offence. Urge citizens to abide by SWM rules rather than defying them. Let's work towards a litter-free Bengaluru.”
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D. Randeep, Special Commissioner (SWM), BBMP told The Hindu that as per the SWM rules, it is mandatory to segregate waste. “We are only enforcing the rules. People should not take law into their hands. Any assault on government officials, who are just doing their duty, is a punishable offence under the Indian Penal Code,” he said and added that the civic body is pressing for the arrest of the people who assaulted the marshal.