Bengaluru, November 2: Considering the garbage issue seriously in the city, the state government has planned to increase the penalty being imposed on those who dump garbage wherever they want from Rs 100 to Rs 500 and it would be implemented strictly, said Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Urban Development Minister Dr G Parameshwar.

Speaking to reporters after holding an officials meeting on waste disposal at BBMP office at Malleshwaram here on Thursday, he said that garbage black spots were being generated in the city as people dump the waste haphazardly. In order to contain such practice, the government has decided to increase the penalty from Rs 100 to Rs 500. It was also decided to appoint an ex-serviceman for each ward to keep a vigil on such practices in black spots and slap fine, he said.

As the garbage menace was increasing in the city, the court has also directed the government to take suitable action and the government would welcome it. Currently, the waste disposal was under control. As of now, the city has 13 million population with 29 lakh houses. Out of which, 5 lakh were commercial setups. Total 5700 tonnes waste including 4200 tonnes from houses and 1500 tonnes from hotels, Kalyana Mantapas and others, was being generated every day. Total 4213 auto tippers were collecting the waste from door-steps. The BBMP has 566 compactors vehicles, 8 mechanical sweepers, 18500 civic workers, 166 solid waste management units and dry waste collection centres and 11 bio methanation plants for waste management, he said.

All compactor vehicles were GPS enabled and it was planning to install GPS to auto tippers. While calling tenders for purchasing new vehicles, it would be included in the tender that the contractors have to manage the tippers and compactors. Tender would also be called for purchasing mechanized sweeping machines. The existing Bellalli quarry would be closed within three months. Alternative to this, terrafarm at Doddaballapur would be started shortly. It was also discussed to open Ullalli, Marenahalli and Bagalur quarries, he said.

He has directed the authorities to start generation power from waste within next six months. The power generation centre set up by the BESCOM near Bidadi would open shortly. Assistant engineers would be appointed for managing the solid waste in each zone in the BBMP and the senior health officers would be given responsibility in each Assembly constituency. The health officers and other officers appointed on contract basis would be continued, the DCM said.

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Washington (PTI): President Donald Trump on Tuesday said NATO and most of US' other allies have rejected his calls to help secure the Strait of Hormuz as the war with Iran entered the third week.

In a social media post, Trump asserted that Iran’s military has been “decimated” and he no longer felt the need for assistance from NATO countries or anyone else.

Last week, Trump had sought help from European nations and others who depend on oil supplies transiting from the Hormuz Strait to safeguard the critical waterway.

“The United States has been informed by most of our NATO “Allies” that they don’t want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East, this, despite the fact that almost every Country strongly agreed with what we are doing, and that Iran cannot, in any way, shape, or form, be allowed to have a Nuclear Weapon,” the US President said in a post on Truth Social.

Iran's attacks on Gulf nations and its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported, have sparked increasing concerns of a global energy crisis and are unnerving the world economy.

“I am not surprised by their action, however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one-way street — We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need,” Trump said.

He said Australia, Japan and South Korea too have turned down his call for help.

“Fortunately, we have decimated Iran’s Military – Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti-Aircraft and Radar is gone and perhaps, most importantly, their Leaders, at virtually every level, are gone, never to threaten us, our Middle Eastern Allies, or the World, again,” Trump said.

He said that given the scale of recent military successes, the US no longer "need" or desires assistance from NATO countries, adding that it never relied on such support in the first place.

Speaking as President of the United States, the "most powerful" country in the world, "we do not need" help from anyone, Trump said.

The West Asia conflict began on February 28 when the US-Israeli combine conducted airstrikes on Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, has effectively been shut following the US and Israel attack on Iran and Tehran's sweeping retaliation.

However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said that from Tehran's "perspective", the strait is "open". "It is only closed to Iran's enemies, to those who carried out unjust aggression against our country and to their allies.”

Earlier in the day, a second Indian-flagged LPG tanker, Nanda Devi, reached the country after safely sailing from the war-hit Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, the first ship, Shivalik, reached Mundra port in Gujarat.

As of now, 22 Indian vessels remain on the west side and two on the east side of the strait.

Indian authorities are in constant touch with all the relevant stakeholders in the region to secure the safe passage of the remaining ships, officials said.