Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Oct 28: The municipal council here, in an effort to beautify the city and rid it of the heaps of garbage, has started a new initiative, of identifying the garbage disposal (black spots) and converting them into mini gardens.

In the past, the city had over 500 black spots. With incessant efforts and cleanliness campaigns, the number of black spots had fallen to 150. The municipal council is hell bent on bringing down the number of black spots to nil. Since the last few months, to realise this goal, it has joined hands with a private concern, ‘Saahas’ to identify black spots and build mini gardens there. The identified spots are cleaned, tyre and other things are removed from there, and flower and decorative plants are planted. To protect the plants, fences are built by using rope and bamboo.

Within the city, mini gardens have come up at three places, Chitpady Ambalpady, Sandeep Nagar and near Malpe police station. In the past, even when the municipality installed boards the people had not stopped throwing garbage. After the gardens came up, they have stopped doing so, the health department officials of the municipal council say.

Those who throw garbage are fined between Rs 100 and 25,000. So far, Rs 3.75 lac by way of fines has been collected in 2187 cases. Probe is conducted on the basis of bills and other information accessed from the garbage. Bills for the fine are delivered at the homes of the garbage disposers. The people have been requested to convey information about those who throw garbage in public places and rivers by contacting the municipal officials on phone 8202520306. Information about the informers will be kept a secret, the municipal officials say.