Garbage management: BBMP fines food joints at VR Mall
BENGALURU: Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has decided to crack the whip harder and show no mercy on those failing to follow solid waste management rules and continue to use plastic. On Thursday, a team of BBMP officials from the health department penalised two popular food joints — McDonald’s and Mr Crane — at VR Mall in Mahadevapura for not segregating waste and for using plastic.
McDonald’s was slapped a penalty of Rs 40,000 and Mr Crane Rs 10,000. The BBMP team also penalised Big Basket with Rs 20,000 for dumping waste at Kudlu despite warnings. The officials also slapped a Rs 25,000-penalty on food delivery firm Swiggy for dumping mixed waste in plastic bags outside its office at Mahadevapura.
D Randeep, Special Commissioner, Solid Waste Management and Incharge Commissioner of Mahadevapura zone of BBMP, told The New indian Express that all violators are equal, be they small retail stores or those in malls. Henceforth, the drive will be intensified at malls across the city, he said. “Large food chains and restaurants cannot be spared. In fact they have a bigger responsibility to maintain discipline”, he said.
The corporation has also decided to start follow up of cases where penalty was levied before. Randeep said: “If anybody is found repeating (violation), even after paying a penalty, then the trade licence will be cancelled.”
The BBMP will get 600 hand-held devices on November 1 on the lines of traffic police department’s BlackBerry, where old offences of the violator can be checked. This will be available with all junior and senior health officials and marshals. The offences and penalties will be monitored by the special and zonal BMBP commissioners. The information will subsequently be put on public domain for people to see.