Finally there is some good news from the Karnataka Government: You litter on the Bangalore Roads, you gotta pay fine. Though this offense was already in the Karnataka Municipal Corporation (KMC) Act, but it only came into enforce after a resolution was passed on July 28 2008 approving its enforcement. There are eight categories where the Litter cops can hold you under this offense:

  • Wasting Drinking Water
  • Pet Dog Fouling
  • Urinating in public
  • Using Potable water for non-domestic purpose
  • Littering in public places
  • Spitting
  • Not Dumping Garbage in Garbage Bins

The fine for violating the above rules can be in the range of RS. 100 to 1000 and has to be paid on the spot. There will be more than 60 members in the Litter Community to ensure the offenders are fined. For those who think they can get away from litter cops read this: The authorities are buying digital cameras as well to monitor the offenders. So all your gutaka people, watch out. One spit (gutaka peek) from you can mean upto RS.1000 out from your pocket, not worth right? Also food-on-the-run lovers, look out for nearest dustbin before you want to pay double than what you spend on the food, plus typical cop harassment.

We warmly welcome this move. The Garden City has witnessed too much litter and dirt that its high time authorities put the check and ensure the city is clean. But do we have enough dustbins to ensure littering is not done on the streets? And what public toilets? Probably would be wise on the authorities to look into this aspect as well. The authorities are expecting a revenue of Rs. 31 lakhs per year (Rs. 3.1 million). So lets wait and watch how this all goes!

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