Awareness drive on waste segregation at source, ban on plastic carry bags in Mangaluru

The Mangaluru City Corporation, in association with Shri Ambamaheswari Seva Trust and Hasiru Dala, started a drive on February 13 to create awareness about the ban on single-use plastic carry bags and on the responsibility of households to hand over segregated waste. The drive will cover 36,650 houses in Kadri Zone-3 of MCC.

Members of Hasiru Dala staged a street play on waste segregation in front of the MCC shopping complex at Kadri in Mangaluru on February 13, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
Raghava M

MCC Zonal Commissioner for Zone-3 Rekha Shetty said teams comprising multi-purpose workers, Hasiru Dala activists and Ambamaheswari Seva Trust members will be visiting more than 36,000 houses in the zone in a month’s time. Each house will be given a sticker affirming their commitment to hand over segregated waste when MCC personnel come to collect waste.

Ms. Shetty said MCC is serious about the ban on use of single-use plastic carry bags by shops, business establishments and eateries. “Shops, eatery outlets and other establishments should not make use of plastic carry bags and other single-use plastic materials. If they fail to comply with MCC’s directions, the MCC will start collecting a fine of ₹10,000,” Ms. Shetty said.

Most of the households, Ms. Shetty said, were segregating garbage into dry and wet waste, and handing them over to MCC personnel. “We will prevail upon households to continue this practice,” she said.

MCC Commissioner Ravichandra Naik said imposing a fine is not an act of MCC to generate revenue. “We want people to inculcate the habit of carrying articles in cloth and other carry bags,” he said.

The awareness drives will be held in other zones of the city too, he said.

He released stickers, which will be handed over by MCC teams during the house-to-house visit. On February 13, teams visited over 1,000 houses in Kadri area.

Members of Hasiru Dala, which was actively involved in waste collection, segregation, disposal and holding awareness drives in five panchayats in Ullal taluk, two panchayats in Mangaluru taluk, and three panchayats in Bantwal taluk, participated in the MCC’s awareness activity on February 13. The activists, led by Nagaraj Bajal, staged a street play on proper waste disposal in front of the new MCC shopping complex at Kadri.