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DNA Edit : Marshall law : Nov 16,2007
marshall law
clean up drives in mumbai under the supervision of the brihanmumbai municipal commission (bmc) are neither new nor unique. while there can be no doubt that mumbai needs cleaning up, it is true that every year money is allotted and plans drawn to make mumbai a cleaner city. the clean up! campaign started this effort with the fleet of military green garbage dumpers and has now taken its plans further. this includes a system of 'marshals' from private security agencies and groups of senior citizens to enforce civic discipline, a plan to post photographers of 'offenders' on a website and a few celebrities to spread the message.
the problems to be considered here are strewn into the campaign much like garbage across the city. it is no news that the more the fanfare accompanying a campaign, the sooner are the chances of it fizzling out. within a few days vigil slackens and people are only too happy to go back to what they call habit. gradually but surely we are back to square one.
more importantly - and this is particularly pertinent to civic cleanliness - what about corresponding infrastructure investments? does the city have dustbins and toilets? people do not use the open air for their ablutions out of choice, but desperation - and lack of proper facilities. unless these are provided, and in adequate quantity, how does bmc expect participation and cooperation from people in the long run? the trash that litters our roads comes from a combination of callous citizens, debris from unrepentant builders and the shortage of dustbins. even the ill-advised penguins of yore have vanished.
the next problem is this compulsion to include celebrities into every effort, almost an affliction common to mumbai's organisations, private and public, which have a childlike propensity to flock to celebrities. but the trick only works to an extent. keeping the city clean is an effort that includes all citizens and it speaks very badly of a citizenry who live in filth until a famous person tells them not to. besides, what new or elating thing can celebs tell us about something as basic as putting waste paper into a basket?
change has to come as a two-pronged movement: the citizens must want it and the municipal corporation must provide the infrastructure. also eternal vigil is the price of cleanliness and it must be continuous; short-lived, high-buzz campaigns don't deliver. the traffic police have done a good job with errant drivers at night. if the bmc can take a page out of their book and put laws to good use, a clean up campaign can prove be a success. but ultimately we must be willing to change too.
Publication : DNA; Section : Opnion; Pg :12; Date : 16/11/07
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