Tinsukia municipal workers take innovative action against illegal dumping by returning waste to offending shop

Municipal workers in Tinsukia town turned the tables on a repeat offender by returning a heap of commercial waste directly to the shop it came from.The incident began on Monday night at approximately 9.30 pm in the Daily Bazar area. An employee of a grocery cum gift item shop was seen dumping cardboard cartons and other shop waste directly onto the road. The act, however, did not go unnoticed. A team of Tinsukia Municipal Board workers on their nightly rounds witnessed the illegal dumping and immediately confronted the employee.When questioned, the employee identified his nearby shop as the source of the garbage. Instead of issuing a standard fine, the municipal workers devised a more direct approach to deliver the message.The following morning, around 8 am, the workers returned with an excavator. They first loaded the illegally dumped heap of garbage and then proceeded to the shop named by the employee. With the shop closed and its shutter down, the workers deposited the entire pile directly in front of its entrance, ensuring the owner would be met with his own refuse upon arrival.The unconventional enforcement action has become the talk of the town, drawing widespread amusement and approval from the public.Pulak Chetia, chairman of the Tinsukia Municipal Board, confirmed the shop was a known repeat offender.“The shop was a repeated offender. We appeal to everyone to keep Tinsukia town clean. It is the responsibility of everyone to maintain the town’s cleanliness,” Chetia said.The municipal workers’ act has sparked widespread amusement and appreciation throughout the town, with residents praising the innovative enforcement approach to tackle the persistent problem of illegal dumping.