That the Independence day flower show at Lalbagh attracted thousands of visitors despite the attractions of malls, pubs and other shows and events that were put up on independence day should bring smiles to environmentalists and tree lovers. The unusual turnout also proved that there are many in the City who love the flora of the City and went to the flower show to admire the efforts of the many Bangaloreans with green fingers.
Yet it left a sore note. The litter that was left behind after the flower show has got the police to ask for a ban of the flower show inside the Lalbagh, which is like cutting the nose to spite the face. The Lal Bagh flower shows are part of the lore of Bangalore and is probably the last remnants of it still being a garden city. It is also a huge tourist attraction. And it also helps in showcasing the beautiful garden that Lal Bagh is. So what is needed is better organisation of the show to ensure that the show remains a draw yet does not destroy the rare plants and trees in the gardens.
For instance on Independence day at 8 am even before the show was officially open, Lal Bagh was already chock-a-block with visitors who vied with the regular walkers for footspace. Coffee cups were strewn all over the gardens and garbage was to be found everywhere. One huge bin near the mobile coffee counter was nearly full and another smaller waste bin was already full and used paper cups were to be found around it.
Except for the bins here, there were no bins to be found anywhere else in the gardens and I had to hold on to my empty coffee cup until I could come back and throw it in a bin. If only the authorities had put up huge waste bins all over the gardens, this would have helped in controlling the garbage.  The organisers should have also put up messages all over the garden telling people to use the bins and not spoil the surroundings.
And most important of all, there should have been enough cleaners appointed on a temporary basis especially for the event so that the bins can be cleared every hour and the surroundings kept clean.
In a closed and crowded place like a mall, where the footfalls are more than what the Lal Bagh attracts everyday, the organisers are able to not only keep the surroundings clean but also the toilets spick and span.
And it is not as though we Indians are a dirty people. 
Even in a crowded place like Disney Land or Universal Studios in Los Angeles, where thousands of people converge from all over the world, there are armies of cleaners going around picking up after people and clearing the waste bins on a regular basis, so that they don’t overflow.
So what we require is only better planning and better management and not silly solutions like banning the show itself or moving it to Palace grounds.