I live on Eldam's Road and sometimes have to take a short walk to shop or visit a neighbour. I dare not cross the road, but walk on the pavement at the side of my building. As I walk, a slight breeze wafts plastic bags which either wrap themselves round my legs or, if the breeze is stronger, fly into my face. I get on to the road to avoid a garbage bin. It is not full, but there are lots of plastic bags scattered around it. People fling the garbage bags and hope that they will fall into the bin; if not, it is of no consequence. The stink from the garbage bin is awful.

A little further on, just before the main road, the enterprising owner of a building has barricaded the pavement as if he owned the pavement and we lowly pedestrians have to step on to the road dodging the unruly traffic. Woe to the person (and that was once me) who tried to walk on the barricaded pavement. A number of watchmen from nowhere shooed me off. I wanted to complain, but was told that the owner was a highly placed person and all my efforts will be of no use whatsoever.

So, I was delighted when I read some newspapers in Bangalore recently. With effect from Octobter 1, Bruhut Bengaluru Mahanagarika will be a clean city. A scheme of Municipal Waste has been formulated and those who do not adhere to it will be fined. Garbage will be collected from homes and buildings and the pavements will be free of bins, preventing stinking garbage spilling over. Garbage has been defined as follows:

• Wet waste, including food, vegetarian and non-vegetarian.
• Dry waste, including recyclable waste like paper, plastic, wood, rubber, fabric, glass and metal objects.
• Garden waste including leaf sweepings, large trimming of branches, lawn trimmings etc.
• Debris including broken bricks, mortar, construction and demolition waste.
• Sanitary wastes, including sanitary napkins, diapers, bandages and anything contaminated with blood.
• Household hazardous wastes, including tube lights, bulbs and fluorescents, batteries, button cells, paints, syringes, needles, thermometers and computer parts.

Waste will be collected on specified days and wet waste will be collected daily.

And so from October 1, Bangaloreans will be segregating their waste at home.

A fit pre-birthday gift for the Man who taught us that cleanliness was next to godliness!

I knew of a Madras a long, long time ago that was clean and did not stink. The fragrance of coffee roasted and ground filled the air in the mornings and in the evenings it was the heady smell of jasmines. Can we make Chennai clean? Of course, we can. If Bengaluru can do it, why can't Chennai?