Earn ₹250: Bengaluru’s Citizens Turn 'Litter Detectives' in New Anti-Dumping Drive

 

The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has launched a novel, citizen-driven initiative to combat chronic street littering in the city. The new campaign, spearheaded by the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML), offers a cash reward of ₹250 to any resident who captures and reports a video of an individual illegally dumping garbage on the streets. This approach aims to transform every frustrated citizen into an active participant in keeping the city clean.

The 'Spot, Record, Report' Mechanism

The initiative, which follows the GBA's recent bold "Garbage Dumping Festival" campaign, is designed to act as a strong behavioral deterrent. Here is how the mechanism works:

1. Spot and Record: Citizens who witness a "litter bug" throwing or dumping garbage on the road must record a clear video of the episode.

2. Share the Evidence: The video, along with the location and any details of the violator, is to be shared with the municipal body.

3. The Reporting Channel: The dedicated WhatsApp number for reporting videos and complaints has been identified as: 9448197197.

4. Reward and Penalty: The citizen who shares the verified video will receive a reward of ₹250. Conversely, officials have stated that violators caught on video will be tracked, made to receive their trash back, and be subject to a stiff penalty of ₹2,000 or more.

A Two-Pronged Strategy for Deterrence

This new scheme builds upon the GBA’s recent, highly publicized efforts, including the "Garbage Dumping Festival" (Kasa Suriyuva Habba). In that campaign, BSWML marshals traced habitual offenders, collected their illegally dumped trash, and returned it right to their doorstep as a symbolic "return gift."

BSWML CEO Karigowda emphasized that despite having nearly 5,000 collection autos for daily dry and wet waste collection, a few people still choose to litter. He explained that the video reward, along with the penalty and 'trash back' campaign, is intended to shift behavior and create greater public awareness.

Future Reporting Tools

To streamline the reporting process and enhance citizen engagement, BSWML sources have also confirmed that a dedicated mobile application for reporting littering is under development and is expected to be officially launched within a week.