Bengaluru, 31 OCT

The Greater Bengaluru Authority on Thursday launched the ‘Garbage Dumping Festival’ in which the civic workers dumped garbage in front of 218 households of serial litterers, collecting Rs 2.8 lakh fine from them.

“Waste was deliberately dumped in front of 218 households, and fines amounting to Rs 2.8 lakh were collected,” Kare Gowda, Chief Executive Officer of Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML), said in a statement.

Although waste is collected from every household across all five City corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority by auto-tippers every morning, some residents dump garbage on roadsides, footpaths, and vacant sites, he said.

“To curb this behaviour and maintain urban cleanliness, BSWML has launched this unique awareness campaign, wherein waste is dumped in front of houses of those found littering public spaces, to help residents realise the inconvenience caused when waste is discarded irresponsibly,” Gowda said.

Gowda said the drive came after strict instructions from Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar to contain the garbage menace.

“Our Marshals have recorded the video of habitual offenders and tracked their homes and also their phone numbers. Now, to discipline such litter bugs, this initiative was initiated. We will counter them with proof of their dirty act of throwing garbage,” said Gowda. “Violators will be fined Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000. If the marshals are questioned for such action, they will show the videos recorded earlier to justify the civic agency’s action.”

Previously, fines ranged between Rs₹500 and ₹2,000. The increase was to discourage repeat offenders.

He noted that some people avoid handing over garbage to auto-tippers and instead dump it late at night on roads or empty plots. To sensitise such individuals, waste was intentionally placed in front of their houses.

Gowda said 65 waste kiosks are planned to be installed across Bengaluru to curb roadside garbage dumping.

These kiosks will contribute significantly to building a ‘Swacch Bengaluru’, he said, adding one such kiosk has already been inaugurated in the BTM Layout and has received positive public response.

He also asked people to give segregated waste to the auto-tippers at designated collection times.