I was waiting to cross the road after getting down from the bus this morning. Just then a plush Octivia stopped at the crossing, the polished glass rolled down and out came a blood stream like spit. Nothing to be horrified, it was a ‘paan’ spit, red in colour that came out of the window and turned into some form of a modern art as soon as it touched ground, just in front of my shoes. Two surprises back to back, one was that at 9am in the morning people like to chew ‘paan’ (I always thought it has to be had after meals) and second was that a man can own an Octivia and still spit out on the road to make it dirty.
I otherwise get angry and irritated at such a sight. However, today I just smiled feeling pity for that person, as I was just reminded of the new regulation that BMC would pass to keep Mumbai clean and maintain it. The BMC wants to educate people and make them understand civic sense. Though fine is one option that has failed time and again, the authorities now plan to introduce punishment in form of community service. Anyone caught spitting, urinating, littering around or making public place dirty by any means will have to spend one hour cleaning that place. This applies to people throwing left over food for dogs and other animals. I was overjoyed by the thought about the kind of embarrassment people would face after their dirtying act. There is an escape possible though, pay Rs.500 as fine and you can save yourself from the awkwardness. I hope and strongly wish that “Municipal Solid Waste Rules 2006” that still lies pending with BMC gets passed as soon as possible and these forms of punishments get implemented at the earliest.
I also like the commercial that was recently aired on ‘Star One’ where a family has fun around the city making every place they visit a dirty dustbin and when they return home find their house to be full of all the garbage. It would be good if this kind of a punishment is also brought into practice.
I will await the day people will understand the meaning of these initiatives and self implement these to keep Mumbai a clean and better place to live in.
I otherwise get angry and irritated at such a sight. However, today I just smiled feeling pity for that person, as I was just reminded of the new regulation that BMC would pass to keep Mumbai clean and maintain it. The BMC wants to educate people and make them understand civic sense. Though fine is one option that has failed time and again, the authorities now plan to introduce punishment in form of community service. Anyone caught spitting, urinating, littering around or making public place dirty by any means will have to spend one hour cleaning that place. This applies to people throwing left over food for dogs and other animals. I was overjoyed by the thought about the kind of embarrassment people would face after their dirtying act. There is an escape possible though, pay Rs.500 as fine and you can save yourself from the awkwardness. I hope and strongly wish that “Municipal Solid Waste Rules 2006” that still lies pending with BMC gets passed as soon as possible and these forms of punishments get implemented at the earliest.
I also like the commercial that was recently aired on ‘Star One’ where a family has fun around the city making every place they visit a dirty dustbin and when they return home find their house to be full of all the garbage. It would be good if this kind of a punishment is also brought into practice.
I will await the day people will understand the meaning of these initiatives and self implement these to keep Mumbai a clean and better place to live in.
Comments
i guess many ppl would find this thought a bit too impractical rather too idealistic. what say you?