In a bid to deter miscreants from dumping garbage in the open, it has become quite common for CCTVs to be installed in order to keep a tab on the violators. The question that arises is whether CCTVs serve as an effective deterrence to dumping of waste in open spaces and water bodies by the public. It is important to note that the violation is carried out by people who toss the garbage bags in open spaces or into water-bodies from moving vehicles mostly at night under the cover of darkness.
The violators moving on foot could be covering their head with a hood in order not to be recognized on the CCTV footage. It may be impossible to identify the violator riding a two-wheeler from the CCTV footage as the rider could be wearing a helmet. Garbage is also being tossed from moving cars which could be difficult to identify. Even a CCTV with night-vision camera may not be able to record the registration number of the vehicles engaged in dumping the garbage.
Violators could even choose another spot away from the CCTV to dump the waste. Hence installing CCTVs, by spending public funds, in order to apprehend those disposing of the garbage in an unhygienic manner could be an exercise in futility. Maintaining the CCTV cameras also involves money. The funds used for installing the CCTVs could be used productively by providing garbage bins in open spaces and near water-bodies where the garbage is normally disposed of by the violators. The garbage-bins need to be emptied regularly by the local panchayats and civic bodies.
