Varanasi: If you are one of those waiting for the cover of darkness to dump your garbage behind your house, this news is for you. Top civic officials are watching those who litter in the streets and trying to catch them with proof and penalize them.At a meeting with the officials of Varanasi Municipal Corporation, divisional commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma asked the officials to do camera-wise analysis in nine identified wards of the city.He asked them to intensify this exercise to catch the people dumping garbage in the streets with proof and penalise them. Houses from where no garbage is provided during the door-to-door collection would be monitored closely, he said.Sharma directed the civic agency to carry out a regular cleanliness drive for a week to ensure removal of garbage from each and every point in order to identify those who dump garbage in the streets. Each shop owner should be made aware of keeping dustbins, he said, adding that apart from penalty, transportation charges of garbage up to Karsada solid waste management plant should be realised from them in case of laxity. Identification of those defacing public places by throwing waste should be done to initiate exemplary action, he added. The commissioner also asked officials to place big size dustbins at cremation grounds of Manikarnika and Harischandra ghats along the Ganga for proper segregation of waste. The commissioner asked the civic officials to get details of the owners of plots, which are empty and being used as garbage dumping sites, inside the city limits.The owners would ensure cleaning of their plots, failing which they will be penalized, he said. Sharma directed officials to identify employees who often remain absent and initiate stern action against them and fix responsibility of their supervisors. He asked for regular monitoring of cattle catchers in order to put a complete check on strays on the city roads. Each solid waste carrier should be equipped with GPS for regular verification of door-to-door garbage collection, he said.We also published the following articles recentlyFestivals over, banks of water bodies turn garbage dumpsJamshedpurs river ghats, vital for the citys water supply, are once again dirty and littered after the festive season. Civic bodies, active in cleaning before Durga Puja and Chhath Puja, have neglected the ongoing cleanliness. Morning walkers and residents are concerned about the pollution of the Kharkai and Subarnarekha rivers, which are the lifelines of the city. The dumping of garbage and untreated waste into the rivers has caused fish deaths and water pollution. Calls have been made for continuous cleanliness efforts and pollution control measures.HDMC initiates fire mitigation measures in garbage yardThe Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) is taking steps to address the problems caused by the garbage dump yard in Hubballi. To reduce the smoke and fire incidents caused by the garbage, HDMC is implementing a scientific method of keeping the dump yard wet using water around the clock. This method will also help in curbing the production of ethanol gas from the garbage. The initiative includes soil taping, laying ring pipelines, and the use of drip irrigation. The residents of several wards in Hubballi have been affected by the smoke and stench, causing serious health issues.Construction waste dumps a call to disasterResidents near Silkyara in Uttarakhand are facing the issue of construction waste dumped in their villages as part of the Char Dham road widening project. Villages like Manjh Gaon and Vaana Gaon have been living under the threat of toxic waste for the past five years. The waste disposal has led to the drying up of water sources and poses a risk to local streams and rivers. The waste dumping sites lack protective measures, making the area vulnerable to mishaps. Construction company authorities claim to have followed procedures, but villagers dispute this.

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