Over the past week alone, 2,200 cases of littering have been filed in the city, while several vehicles have been seized, said the BBMP.
With the High Court setting strict deadlines, the civic body had appointed marshals who had been keeping a vigil and catching litterbugs red-handed.
“We have only issued a stern warning to individuals who were caught dumping mixed waste. We found that these people were mostly employed as helpers in somebody’s house and it was unfair to levy a fine on them,” said Sarfaraz Khan, BBMP’s Joint Commissioner (Solid Waste Management and Health). Fines ranged from ₹200 to ₹500 depending on the offence by individuals, while vehicles and their owners were fined between ₹5,000 and ₹10,000.
Another strategy used to ensure certain areas do not continue to become black spots was to conduct beautification drives. The drive, however, seemed to have unfurled as garbage continued to pile at the same spots. The Ugly Indians, an informal group of citizens who have been beautifying the city’s spots and who trained BBMP’s junior health inspectors, said it was unfair to expect things to change overnight.
