More than a decade—over 11 years—has passed since the launch of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in October 2014. While public spaces have become cleaner and civic consciousness has risen, chronic garbage dumping remains an uphill battle for urban local bodies. We have looked further afield for solutions.

Enter the latest high-tech weapon in municipal governance: artificial intelligence-powered surveillance cameras. The idea is straightforward yet striking. Cameras equipped with computer vision are installed at vulnerable garbage-dumping spots to monitor illegal dumping in real time. Upon detecting a violation, the system triggers automated loudspeaker warnings to publicly call out offenders, captures facial data, and routes evidence to civic authorities for punitive fines.

Recognising the promise of this........

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