When the plan was launched exactly a year ago, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s Clean-up Marshals had their task cut out: To spot and fine Mumbaiites who spit, urinate and litter on roads, and drive home a lesson in civic sense. However, 12 months later, the uniformed marshals seem to have become demoralised due to undeterred and unaware citizens who refuse to co-operate or pay fines. They even indulge in arguments and often scuffle with them.

The result: the city now has just 289 marshals left with many opting out of the profession. 

To implement the ‘Greater Mumbai Cleanliness and Sanitation Bylaws,2006’, the BMC  had short listed private security agencies to fine people littering, spitting or dirtying city roads in any other manner, and the fine ranges from Rs 100 to Rs 20,000. The initiative, which was flagged off on November 15 last year, had created positive buzz. But a year later, security agencies are struggling to maintain the number of marshals and the profit as well.

Though the civic administration added Rs 2.57 crore to its kitty by penalising 76,000 defaulters and making another 50,000 opt for community service, the general public’s attitude has been of non-cooperation. Eventually, almost all security agencies have reduced the number of marshals. However, additional municipal commissioner R A Rajeev said the BMC had hoped that more marshals will be appointed. “The initial enthusiasm on the initiative has met with resistance from people. But we need to sustain this campaign and make people more aware,” he said.

But security agencies say political interference and refusal of citizens to pay the fine often results in ugly scuffle. “This is a quite hard and specialised job as the marshals have to explain defaulters on the importance of fines and why their action was wrong. Not many guards can tolerate such attitude,” said Pradeep Singh of Property Guards, which has reduced the strength of clean-up guards from 120 to 70 for manning Colaba, Churchgate, Malabar hill and Kalbadevi areas.

TRIG Guards agency, which is in-charge of Tardeo, Bandra, Andheri, Ghatkopar, Bhandup and Mulund areas, have also reduced their marshal count from 98 to 66 now. “In the beginning marshals had to do night shift and many refused to do so. We are neither making any profit nor have any loss in this contract,” said Rajendra Kumar Pandey of the agency.

The civic body a few months back appointed two more security agencies taking the total number to six. Rafiq Mujawar of Sulabh Suraksha Rakshak Sahakari Sanstha Ltd, which is in charge of Govandi, said that with in two months of the appointment, the company has already cut down the number of marshals from 32 to 24. “People are still not used to the idea of private guards collecting fines and telling them that their actions are wrong. Defaulters do not co-operate and there is lot of political interference as well when we decide to crackdown on a particular violating institution,” he said.

But perhaps the worst situation is faced by Vishal Protection Force (VPF), which is in-charge of Goregaon and Malad area. From the initial number of 20 guards, they are now left with just six. “People often get into arguments and even try to beat the marshals. Many of them have left the job,” said Ramashankar Dwivedi of the VPF.

Meanwhile, the BMC is now in the process to rope in 100 student volunteers who will be made marshals and will be empowered to fine citizens violating the cleanliness rules.