Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Apr 22: Finally, the panchayat raj system of Dakshina Kannada district has drawn up a solution to the major problem encountered by the coastal districts, which is the waste disposed of by the people by the roadside and public places.

The zilla panchayat chief executive officer has issued a circular as per which the gram panchayats have been instructed to form cleanliness and sanitisation workforce that will work to stop the practice of unscientific disposal of waste by the national and state highways, as well as local roadsides at night.

This workforce is meant to stop throwing of garbage by the roadsides and to take suitable action against the guilty. These workforces will have panchayat development officer, panchayat secretary, village beat police, ASHA workers, volunteers, tax collectors and pump operators as their members.

These workforces will take steps to handle the process of garbage disposal in a scientific manner, install CCTV cameras wherever necessary by the sides of national, state and local roads and other public places, moving around certain places during the day and the night shifts, patrolling the areas and taking action against people and vehicles throwing garbage, registering complaints in police stations about criminal activities, imposing of fine by the gram panchayat on the violators, complaining to regional transport authorities seeking to cancel the registration of vehicles, cleaning areas where garbage is dumped and turning it into park, asking organizations producing over 50 kg waste per day to scientifically handle their waste on their own.

Dumping of waste in open area, spitting and urination will attract a fine of Rs 1,000, Rs 5,000 fine will be levied on large scale waste producers if they fail to sort out garbage, fine of Rs 1,000 for other waste producers on failure to sort out waste and disposal, burning or burying of huge waste by mega waste producers and burning, piling or burying of waste by other waste producers will attract a fine of Rs 5,000 and Rs 1,000 respectively. 

It is felt that the gram panchayats, by effectively implementing this concept, will be able to efficiently handle the issue of waste disposal.