Pollution Control Board tries out “Gandhigiri” in Bangalore

Vehicle drivers in Bangalore were pleasantly surprised when they were stopped and offered a rose at the busy Brigade Road-M G Road junction instead of demand notes for payment of fine towards emitting more than the prescribed levels of smoke.

Soon, it dawned on them that Karnataka Pollution Control Board had taken a leaf out of Hindi potboiler Lage Raho Munnabhai and was trying out the “Gandhigiri” approach to bring down the levels of pollution in Bangalore.

With air pollution levels steadily rising in the City, the Pollution Control Board officials had roped in about 25 NCC cadets and City Traffic police to spread the message of curbing pollution. The cadets and traffic police approached vehicles emitting a lot of smoke at the traffic signal at the junction and promptly handed the drivers a rose and a chocolate, besides a pamphlet on the need to check air pollution.

During the two-hour long exercise conducted on Sunday, the Pollution Control Board officials identified almost 300 polluting vehicles, including 120 two wheelers, 146 autorickshaws and 23 four-wheelers.
The Pollution Control Board officials said they carried this type of a campaign on an experimental basis with the hope that vehicle drivers will respond positively and join the drive in keeping Bangalore clean and healthy