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Shimla civic body to live stream video clips of people littering the Ridge
SMC commissioner Pankaj Rai said people have been asked to use dustbins and the corporation collects garbage from households yet littering is rampant.
To curb littering, the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) has started a ‘name and shame’ campaign that involves live streaming video clips and photos of litterbugs at the Ridge.
The SMC has installed surveillance cameras at various points of the town where people frequently throw trash. These cameras are connected to the SMC office from where the offenders are monitored. The live streams will expose them to the public at the Ridge.
SMC commissioner Pankaj Rai said people have been asked to use dustbins and the corporation collects garbage from households yet littering is rampant. “This decision has the approval of the House. Pictures of offenders will be displayed at the Ridge, local TV networks and will also be released to media and social network accounts created by the corporation,” he says.
Deputy mayor Rakesh Sharma said, “We are committed to maintaining the town’s beauty and environment. Anybody can send us photos and videos of offenders. The identity of the sender will not be disclosed.”
The step is proving to be an effective deterrent to littering.
Shimla generates 80 tonnes of garbage daily that increases to 100 tonnes a day during the tourist season. In 2009, the SMC created the Shimla Environment Heritage Conservation Beautification Society that has 900 workers for door-to-door garbage collection.
Some of the waste is treated at the 1.75-MW plant at Bhariyal on the outskirts of Shimla but a large portion of it is being dumped in nullahs and can be seen strewn on hillsides.
NAME AND SHAME Shimla Municipal Corporation to live stream clips of offenders on LED screen put up at the Ridge
