Year after year, every flower show leaves in its wake waste piled up across Lalbagh. M R Chandrashekar, deputy director, horticulture, says the problem has come down by 30 per cent from previous years, but visitors see little difference.

"There are about 300 dustbins but not all of them are used," he says, conceding at the same time the number is not enough. Chandrashekar says, "We aren't checking handbags but we are preventing people from carrying extra bags with snacks."

The park had 50 vendors inside until a few years ago. But now only a handful are left. "We have told them to manage the waste they generate," he says. People who visited the flower show feel cleanliness calls for stricter measures. Aparna Athreya, a professional, feels creating more awareness against littering helps. "We should have more trash and recyclable bins at strategic locations across the park. To ensure that these amenities are properly used, signage should be provided," Aparna says. Stringent enforcement of rules will instil better discipline, she reckons.

"People could be checked at the entrance for plastic and non-biodegradable material. These must be seized," says Anil Ravindran, coffee planter and environmentalist.