Even as the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) is inching towards turning 80 garbage spots in the city trash-free to mark the 80th Independence Day, the bigger challenge before the civic body is to ensure that these cleaned and transformed spots do not turn into dumping grounds again once the drive is over.

Unless the MCC succeeds in sustaining the transformation, the purpose of the campaign will not be served. How effectively the civic body handles this task remains to be seen.

The MCC is taking up beautification works, installing signboards, planting trees, and conducting public awareness programmes at the transformed Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVPs) to prevent fresh dumping. Each transformed site will be continuously monitored for at least 30 days to ensure that it remains free of waste, officials said.

The MCC has also warned of strict action, including penalties under applicable rules, against those who dump waste, construction and demolition (C&D) material or other garbage illegally at the transformed sites.

On Tuesday, the MCC cleared a whopping 225.77 tonnes of waste from identified GVPs across the city as part of its “Swachhata Abhiyan–2026: 80 Garbage-Free Spots” campaign.

A major GVP transformation drive was conducted near the Gokulam crematorium in Zone 4, where Mysuru Regional Commissioner Nitesh Patil and MCC Commissioner Savitha M.K. participated in the cleanliness operation.

As much as 149.77 tonnes of waste was cleared from the GVP near the crematorium. This included around 130 tonnes of C&D waste and 19.77 tonnes of other solid waste.

In Zone 1 near Bandikeri KHPT, MLA T.S. Srivatsa participated in the GVP cleaning operation. So far, 69 tonnes of waste has been removed from the site, and the cleaning work is still in progress. The final quantity of waste cleared will be recorded after completion of the operation, the MCC said in a press release.

Under the campaign, two tonnes of waste was removed from an identified GVP in Zone 5, while one tonne was cleared from a GVP near the Regional Commissioner’s residence on Valmiki Road in Zone 6. Another four tonnes was removed from GVPs opposite Rahmath Nursing Home in Rajivnagar and opposite R.K. Palace on Sathyanagar Main Road in Udayagiri, both in Zone 8.

The operation involved MCC officials, including Superintending Engineers, the Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), Executive Engineers, Zonal Assistant Commissioners, Development Officers, Assistant Executive Engineers, Environmental Engineers, Health Inspectors, supervisors, civic workers and vehicle drivers.

The waste cleared during the drive was transported in MCC vehicles to designated processing and disposal facilities.

As part of the “Swachhata Abhiyan–2026: 80 Garbage-Free Spots”, the MCC has identified 80 GVPs across nine zones and aims to make them garbage-free and permanently transform them by August 30.

The MCC Commissioner appealed to residents, elected representatives, organisations, traders and volunteers to actively participate in the campaign and help ensure that the transformed spots remain garbage-free. Residents have also been urged to segregate waste at source and hand it over only to authorised MCC waste collection vehicles.

Published - August 11, 2026 08:17 pm IST