Local councils can use CCTVs to stamp out rubbish dumping
A NEWSPAPER photograph showing a huge pile of garbage opposite a row of shophouses in Sepang, Selangor, caught my attention.
Reading the report, I gathered that the Sepang Municipal Council had spent RM300,000 clearing rubbish littered or dumped in residential areas this year.
This is on top of the RM1 million spent on enforcement and cleanups in the outskirts, where there are 19 such hotspots, many in areas that are hard to reach.
The council must have run out of ideas and resources to combat this menace, as it had turned to the state government for help.
Its president, Datuk Puasa Md Taib, said the council had introduced stricter enforcement and offenders might be fined up to RM1,000.
More guidelines must be introduced, and this applies to all municipal councils and city halls, as the problem is nationwide.
First, closed-circuit television cameras could be installed in areas close to residences and businesses used for illegal dumping.
A warning sign is enough to deter most culprits, but those indifferent to it will be captured by the cameras.
Lorries laden with garbage heading for illegal dumpsites can also be recorded by hidden cameras.
Even if videos or photos are not admissible, it will check illegal dumping, as defendants will have to appear in court or lose the case.
Most defendants will pay a compound fine, which is cheaper than engaging lawyers to defend them. Businesses must be held accountable if they don’t dispose of their industrial waste.
If there is no law for this, then the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry should introduce such a bill.
If there is such a provision, then the ministry must work with local authorities to stamp out illegal dumping.