The introduction of on-the-spot fines for littering is a good idea that should go a long way in ensuring that the City of Dar es Salaam is kept clean. It's the haphazard disposal of garbage, which contributes to the environmental pollution that, sadly, has become synonymous with our urban centres.

This is why we find Kinondoni municipality's new campaign to rid the area of litter commendable. The strict enforcement of new by-laws allowing the instant punishment of offenders is the way to go. It will remind the culprits and others that while it's their civic duty to keep the environment in which they live clean, someone is keenly watching and those who fail to do so risk a fine.

Many city dwellers have no scruples about littering the streets and it just never occurs to them that somebody else must break his back to remove what they so carelessly throw around. But while this punitive approach is good, we hope the accent will be on public education to raise their awareness on the role the people have to play in the maintenance of a clean environment. Disposing of garbage in designated areas and roadside garbage bins makes its collection more cost effective.

We hope the city fathers will step up the public awareness campaign lest those given the responsibility of fining offenders turn into a channel to extort bribes.

We particularly like the stick and carrot approach taken by Kinondoni, which will reward the best performers, as it punishes the culprits. This is how to ensure that the public participates fully in efforts to keep the city clean.

The municipality is also boosting its capacity to ferry the garbage from collection points to the dumpsites by buying more vehicles and deploying more staff. This is an excellent initiative that deserves support.