Fine move: PDO seeks out litterers

Mangaluru: The panchayat development officer (PDO) of Aivarnadu gram panchayat in Sullia taluk, has been assuming the role of a swachhata soldier for the village. PDO Shyamprasad M R keeps an eye on public places, and ensures that people do not litter by throwing waste there. On Friday, the PDO found garbage dumped by the side of the road at Bengamale in the village. He checked the paper found in the waste, including bills and other documents in the waste bag found on the roadside, and zeroed in on the person who dumped it, and made him clear the waste from the spot. Further, the person was also made to pay Rs 5,000 as a penalty.
Shyamprasad said that he has already penalised nearly 10 people, who dumped waste by the side of the road, in the last six months.
“During my visits to villages, I monitor public places to ensure cleanliness. Meanwhile, we have also installed CCTV cameras in many places in the village. More than CCTV footage, it is easy to find the person who threw waste, by going through the paper in garbage bags. I found the address of the person who littered, while going through the waste found at Bengamale. Following this, I asked him to clear the waste from the spot, and to pay a penalty,” he said.
He joined the village as a PDO, nearly a year ago. “I have been keeping an eye on public places from December onwards. Penalties to the tune of Rs 10,000 were also imposed on earlier occasions. Based on the quantity of waste found in public places, the amount is decided,” he said, adding that the village has a full-fledged door-to-door waste collection system.