BENGALURU
Legal experts have strongly criticised the city’s latest waste management campaign, calling it legally unsound and violative of municipal norms. The Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) recently launched ‘Kasa Suriyuva Habba’, a drive aimed at shaming residents who dump garbage in public places. As part of the campaign, civic staff were seen unloading trash collected from roadsides onto the doorsteps of alleged repeat offenders.
Senior advocate G.R. Mohan said the move has no legal basis, warning that such acts could themselves amount to public nuisance. “If citizens can be booked under public nuisance for littering, the same provisions apply to officials dumping garbage at private doorsteps,” he said, recalling a similar case years ago when waste contractors dumped garbage at Freedom Park over unpaid dues. “We challenged that too in court,” he added.
Mohan urged the civic body to adhere strictly to the Union government’s Solid Waste Management Rules and adopt scientific disposal practices instead of resorting to public humiliation.
Advocate Vasanth Adithya termed the campaign “ridiculous and legally untenable.” He said, “There is no provision in municipal or governance laws that authorises such actions. Instead of sensitising citizens, the authorities are indulging in tokenism.” He further noted that the move increases pressure on civic workers already burdened with heavy workloads.
Advocate Sushma Naveen questioned the logic behind the initiative, saying it reflects misplaced priorities. “If garbage collection vehicles fail to turn up, can residents dump waste at the commissioner’s house?” she asked. “GBA and BSWML are statutory bodies with defined responsibilities — their job is not to reform individuals but to ensure efficient waste management,” she added.
Legal experts urged the government to focus on systemic improvements rather than public shaming.
