The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has come up with an innovative solution to keep the city clean, particularly places where people repeatedly throw garbage leading to a pile up. It is putting up CCTVs at these garbage vulnerable (GVP) points along with a siren which will be activated when there is littering.

The pilot project has been taken up for this technology driven solution in Uppal, a neighbourhood in East Hyderabad.

The civic body is struggling to eliminate the GVPs in the city. The GVPs are not only an eyesore but also a public nuisance with foul smell emanating from these points. These also pose a health hazard to the people. Although garbage collectors claim they are regularly clearing out the garbage from the designated spots, the public often keep throwing waste at the same place.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner has been emphasising on house-to-house garbage collection in order to eliminate such garbage vulnerable points across the city.

But now the GHMC is trying an innovative strategy for a permanent solution to the problem of GVPs. In association with residential welfare associations, the civic body is installing CCTVs at strategic points. Whenever there is littering, there will be a siren-like sound emanating to warn those who throw garbage on the road.

This is being implemented as a pilot project in Uppal circle of the GHMC. If the pilot project is successful, it will be implemented throughout the city. So long, it was only the police which was installing CCTVs to keep the city crime free but now the civic body is using the same technology to keep Hyderabad clean.

The civic body has adopted multi-pronged strategies to target these GVPs and eliminate them. Apart from putting up boards, warning residents of heavy fines if they are found littering, it has roped in local shopkeepers as Swacch volunteers to keep an eye on these spots and warn the public.

In some points the GHMC has painted rangolis or pictures of bonalu, a traditional symbol of Telangana to prevent the public from throwing garbage at the beautified spots. In certain spots, the areas have been cleaned, trees planted and local residents were even invited to have tea or use the place either as a playing area or meditation point.

Although some people wanted garbage bins on roads, the civic body said it has been done away with since garbage is being collected house-to-house by sanitation workers.