As long as one can litter anywhere in the city and get away with a fine of just Rs 100, there will be no respite from the garbage menace, experts have said and called for a change in policy to solve the problem.
In 2013, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) began levying a penalty in a bid to implement waste segregation and management in the city. As per the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Act, 1976, littering, spitting, urinating, open defecation and other acts of nuisance on the roads, bus stations, railway stations, playgrounds and other premises of public utility attract a fine of Rs 100 for the first time and Rs 200 for subsequent offences.
For domestic occupiers, unsegregated waste attracts a penalty of Rs 100 for the first offence and Rs 500 for subsequent offences. Meanwhile, for bulk generators or commercial complexes, it is Rs 500 for the first offence and Rs 1,000 for subsequent offences.
Sandhya Narayan, a member of the Solid Waste Management Round Table and SWM Expert Committee, said: "The fine was fixed six years ago and needs to be increased. Also, not much is known about enforcement or how much fine the BBMP has collected for non-segregation of waste or for other offences related to waste management."
N Manjunath Prasad, Commissioner, BBMP, agreed that the penalty needs to be increased and that the civic body must enforce it rigorously. "Most are not bothered about the penalty. They are ready to pay the fine and litter."
Construction waste and debris
As if things weren't bad, the illegal dumping of construction debris is only adding to the garbage menace. The city generates around 3,600 tonnes of Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste per day, making Bengaluru the fourth largest generator of construction debris in the country, as per a report by Vijinapura Eco Civic Team (VECT).
Currently, the fine for dumping C&D waste is Rs 5,000. In 2017, the then Mayor R Sampath Raj had proposed to hike the fine to Rs 1 lakh.
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