Dumped garbage on roads? Get set to rot in jail

BENGALURU: Citizens found dumping garbage in public spaces or ignoring waste segregating could face arrest if municipal authorities have their way . If the law comes into effect, municipal authorities will have the right to arrest citizens violating waste-segregation rules. Armed with last week's Karnataka High Court decree mandating three-way segregation of waste, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike wants the state government to empower its officers with powers of a police officer, which includes arrest - a move they believe can drive home the point, as underlined by the court - that citizens are equally responsible for keeping the city clean.

The civic body's legal team is making a case for the government to invoke Section 491 of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act. The littleknown provision has never been enforced, experts said.

"To handle the municipal solid waste situation, we require police powers for the time being. The KMC Act provides for it. The intention is to ensure there is segregation of waste and garbage isn't dumped on roads," BBMP Special Commissioner ( Solid Waste Management) Subodh Yadav told ET. "I've had a couple of meetings on this. The proposal will be placed before the council, and then sent to the government." In August 2013, the BBMP introduced fines ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 5,000 for littering, dumping and failure to segregate waste. "This has not reined in the violators. We have to take a tough stand," Yadav said.

Discussions, apparently, evoked mixed reactions from within the civic body. "If you give police powers to a chief engineer, for example, will he know how to make arrests, and ascertaining cognizable offences? Such concerns were expressed. Let's see what the government will do on this proposal," said retired district judge KD Deshpande, BBMP's legal advisor.

Former IAS officer Siddaiah, who has headed the BBMP, supports the plan. "It is the absolute need of the hour. Otherwise, people won't fall in line," he said. Civic evangelist V Ravichandar called it a "draconian" move.

"To say that you will now police citizens when your own garbage contracts were flawed is not acceptable. You have to create an enabling environment for citizens to segregate waste," he said.