Swachha Mysuru – Samartha Mysuru

Art works installed at public places; MCC’s innovative measure to check waste menace in city

Mysuru: Under its newly founded ‘Swachha Mysuru – Samartha Mysuru’ initiative, Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has come out with an innovative way to deal with the menace of waste.

Using wastes littered by residents at public places identified by Pourakarmikas and Health Inspectors in various Wards, MCC is creating art works out of used tyres, bottles and bamboo poles at the road side, electric poles, trees and other places, with the help of generous donors among locals and installing them at such places, with the only intention of changing the public mindset, by garnering their attention. Boards with messages to create awareness against disposing waste, are also being installed.

The innovative measure to check unabated throwing of the refuse at public spots, is eventually aimed at reclaiming the top spot in ‘Swachh City’ rankings in the country. The artistic measure is in fact yielding results at about 15 to 20 places identified in the city, including localities like Gokulam, Vijayanagar 3rd stage, Azeez Sait Double Road (Mahadevapura Main Road), Aravinda Nagar to name a few.

The feedback is good, with the public appreciating MCC, for some of the public refraining from throwing the waste again at the same spot.

Apart from cleaning the unkempt places, MCC is changing the visual look of the otherwise filthy spot, by creating a new ambience with colourfully painted tyres, flower pots and covering the place with green cloth supported by bamboo fence, as a temporary measure, to disseminate                                                  green-friendly message.

Mruthyunjaya, Executive Engineer (EE) of MCC Environment Division, told Star of Mysore: “As a continued initiative, MCC has installed CCTV cameras at 52 places to deter public from throwing waste. If the ‘Watch and Ward’ unit starts functioning in a full-fledged manner, effective measures can be further taken to curb unabated throwing of waste in public places.”

Approximately, 550 tonnes of waste, including 300 tonnes of wet waste and 245 to 250 tonnes of dry waste, is collected across the city daily. Since January, fine is being imposed on those littering waste in public and Rs. 7.5 lakh fine amount has been collected so far.