In a surprising turn, the Chandigarh Municipal Corp scrapped its plan to bang drums at homes of people tossing trash on roads. The move followed loud backlash from locals, angry arguments in politics, also growing gripes over humiliating folks publicly.
The issue kicked off after the city council started using drumming to shame those tossing trash. Evidence - like pictures or clips of someone dumping waste - was gathered first, followed by bringing that junk back to their doorstep while banging drums nearby. Announced by Commissioner Amit Kumar in November, this plan also offered cash rewards via WhatsApp if locals reported offenders.
People demonstrated their angry by holding protests. The top local leader from Congress, Jasbir Singh Bunty, spoke up - saying this method was shaming folks, something leaders shouldn’t even try. In November, city workers banged drums at two houses, posting clips online; that made things way more heated.
The situation got worse in November when a group submitted a complaint to Chandigarh’s Administrator, Gulab Chand Kataria, claiming city workers acted unlawfully - overstepping limits while mistreating locals.
The clash hit its peak after Mahila Congress member Mamta Dogra showed up at Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla’s home, carrying a drum along with waste gathered from nearby areas - spots where piles had built up due to delayed pickups. Things turned heated between Dogra and the mayor’s husband, Davinder Singh Babla; he backed the move, explaining that city staff halted the protest because the mayor gave the order.
Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla stepped in fast - then canceled the drum-punishment by November, because locals found it annoying.
The move sparked strong backlash - both from politicians and locals in Chandigarh. Online reactions poured in, slamming city workers for shaming people instead of fixing poor trash pickup. People said blame should land on authorities who let streets get dirty, not on folks stuck dealing with late collections.
The city council’s under more heat lately to fix how trash gets handled - better pickup schedules plus cleaner streets instead of calling people out online.