Be the garbage-less change you wish to see in the city

Dumping trash in nullahs has cost hundreds of city residents R200 each since last week. According to the B rihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), their nuisance detection squads started fining people after spreading awareness for a week and have so far collected a total of R1,27,500 from four of the 24 municipal wards, this paper stated in a report.

The civic body's top brass has claimed that the fines are being levied with an aim to bring about a change in people with reference to their attitude towards sanitation. BMC Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi has said the civic body's main focus is on areas around slums and near nullahs as people living there are the major reason for the problem.

We welcome the fines and it is good to know that sizeable amounts have been collected. It shows that the BMC squads are vigilant. However, all checks and balances with reference to this squad must be done and they should not transform into the terror of the clean up marshals that we faced earlier.

This has shown that unfortunately, it is only when one is fined that there is a change in behaviour or a stop to an offending habit.

It is a mirror to the entire cleanliness situation in the city. Garbage will stop being thrown only when there are punishments that pinch the pocket.

This should not be the case, though realistically it is. With so many awareness campaigns and real life examples in front of us, flooding because of choked nullahs and loss of life because of that, change has to come from within, rather than being enforced.

The BMC may even widen their fine campaign, one cannot say. Meanwhile, let us try to be the change we wish to see in Mumbai, fine or no fine.

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