Spot checks, Rs 5k fines and CCTVs: Balepuni GP steps up anti-littering push

Mangaluru: To keep roads clean and curb garbage black spots, Balepuni gram panchayat in Dakshina Kannada has launched a multi-pronged drive. The panchayat will hold awareness programmes, trace litterers by checking waste heaps for address details, and issue notices with a Rs 5,000 penalty to violators. Residents who fail to hand over waste to the panchayat staff will also receive show-cause notices.GP secretary Ayisha Banu and panchayat development officer (PDO) Venkatesh, along with volunteers, conducted spot visits and began the drives. Members of Muloor Swachhata Task Force and Jana Shikshana Trust joined the effort.Officials said the GP will continue searching waste dumps to identify violators. Swachhata Task Forces will be formed in all villages under the GP. These teams will install warning boards and CCTV cameras to track litterers in public places.PDO Venkatesh said an awareness campaign on zero waste at the residential, ward and panchayat levels will be held. A drive to make villages disease-free and waste-free will be launched on Feb 26 with the participation of organisations and the community.Jana Shikshana Trust director N Sheena Shetty, who took part in the drives, said the trust urged govt support to curb dumping in public places, check single-use plastics and prevent the burning of plastic waste in Dakshina Kannada. "We requested district minister Dinesh Gundu Rao to consider the issue seriously and convene a special meeting of officials to enforce the law against such violations," he said.