In a renewed crackdown ahead of the national cleanliness survey, the Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) has intensified its drive against open garbage dumping by reactivating camera-based surveillance across the city. This strict enforcement has yielded significant results, with nearly Rs 3 lakh collected in fines over just the past three days.
Reviving the Camera Surveillance System
This initiative is not the first of its kind for JMC. A similar drive using CCTV cameras to impose penalties on violators was launched in October last year. However, over time, the monitoring efforts weakened and the campaign lost its initial momentum. With Swachh Survekshan 2025 on the horizon, the civic body has decided to strictly enforce the system once again to improve the city's ranking.
JMC Commissioner Gaurav Saini explained the renewed focus. "Earlier, we did not have a proper team focused solely on camera surveillance," he said. "But with the aim of securing a place among the top 3 cities in Swachh Survekshan, we are setting up a special team at the command and control centre that will exclusively track people who litter in the open."
Expanding the Surveillance Network
To ensure comprehensive coverage, the corporation is expanding its technological reach. Saini stated that the JMC currently operates around 500 cameras across its part-I and II areas, with plans to install more in the coming days. In a significant move for stricter monitoring, the corporation has also obtained permission from the Department of Information Technology (DOIT) to use their camera network.
Tackling a Persistent Cleanliness Challenge
Open garbage dumping remains one of the most significant hurdles for Jaipur's cleanliness ranking. Commissioner Saini highlighted a common behavioural issue that undermines collection efforts. "We often see that even when garbage hoppers come regularly, people throw waste outside their homes after the vehicle passes," he noted.
Making a direct appeal to residents, Saini urged, "We appeal to residents to dispose of their waste only when the garbage van arrives and not dump it in the open." This public cooperation is seen as vital to complement the surveillance and punitive measures, aiming for a sustained improvement in the city's hygiene and its performance in the upcoming national survey.
