What is the "Dhol Fine Drive" campaign in Chandigarh?

The "Dhol Fine Drive" campaign in Chandigarh is a unique initiative launched by the Municipal Corporation to curb littering in the city. Under this campaign, special teams patrol the streets, markets, and public areas, issuing fines to anyone caught littering and playing traditional drums (dhol) to raise awareness.

How much are the fines issued under the "Dhol Fine Drive" campaign in Chandigarh?

The first fine issued under this initiative was ₹13,401 in Manimajra. The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has a zero-tolerance policy towards littering and non-compliance with Solid Waste Management (SWM) regulations.

What happens to the garbage collected from litterbugs in Chandigarh's "Dhol Fine Drive" campaign?

As part of the awareness effort, the garbage thrown by violators is also collected and returned to them by the officials. This is done to make the offenders directly responsible for their actions and encourage them to change their littering habits.

Home / Environment / Chandigarh's "Dhol Fine Drive" Fines Litterbugs and Returns Their Trash

Chandigarh's "Dhol Fine Drive" Fines Litterbugs and Returns Their Trash

18 Nov, 2025

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Summary

Chandigarh's new "Dhol Fine Drive" campaign fines litterbugs up to ₹13,401
Garbage is collected and returned to offenders as part of awareness effort
Videos of officials issuing fines and performing "boliyaan" go viral on social media

In a novel approach to curbing littering, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has rolled out the "Dhol Fine Drive" campaign. As of 2025-11-18T10:18:32+00:00, special teams have been patrolling the city's streets, markets, and public areas, issuing fines to anyone caught littering.

The first fine under this initiative was issued just last week in Manimajra, with each violator being fined ₹13,401. In some cases, the officials have also collected the garbage thrown by the offenders and returned it to them as part of the awareness effort.

A video of these special teams, accompanied by dhol players, visiting the homes of habitual litterbugs has gone viral on social media. The officials issue a challan, return the garbage to the offenders, and even take pictures with them. In certain instances, the artists perform traditional "boliyaan," such as "Littering? Smile please... you are on camera!"