Swinging into action after lagging behind in this year's national cleanliness ranking, the Gwalior civic body has decided to adopt a novel way of playing 'Ramdhun' (chanting Lord Ram's name) in front of the houses of people if they are found throwing garbage in the open.
This move of sending Bhajan singers to chant Ramdhun is aimed to making people ashamed of their act of throwing garbage on roads, and to encourage them in cooperating with the administration in keeping the city clean.
But if people continue to flout the norms even after that, then a fine will be imposed on such violators, a senior official said.
"The sanitation employees of the civic body are carrying out door-to-door collection of garbage through vehicles. But several people are still throwing garbage outside their houses, on roads or in public places,” Gwalior Municipal Corporation (GMC) commissioner Kishore Kanyal said.
He said that such people will be requested and warned initially to dump their household garbage in the GMC-run vehicles.
"But if they do not mend their ways, then a group of Bhajan singers will be sent to such houses to recite Ramdhun. Even if the situation doesn't improve, then a fine will be imposed on them," he said.
Mr. Kanyal said that during the past one week, the GMC has imposed a fine of ₹5 lakh on the shopkeepers and households for throwing the garbage on roads.
The corporation will run a campaign to ensure 100 % door-to-door collection of garbage in the city with the help of people, he said.
In the national cleanliness survey, Gwalior slipped to 15th position this year from 12th last year.
Indore, the largest city of Madhya Pradesh, has secured top position in the country's cleanliness survey for the fifth time in a row, while State capital Bhopal has secured seventh position this year.
