In what is being described as the first case of its kind in Punjab, the Ropar police have taken action against three residents for allegedly littering at a public place despite repeated warnings from civic officials.The accused have been identified as Ishtaq Ali and Naushad, both residents of Shampura, and one Kamal Kant, who is associated with a dhaba in Ropar.According to police officials, the action followed a complaint lodged by the Municipal Council’s sanitary inspector, who alleged that sanitation workers had spent considerable effort clearing large heaps of garbage from a spot in the town as part of an ongoing cleanliness drive.However, moments after the area had been cleaned, the three men allegedly arrived at the site and dumped fresh solid waste there, undoing the work carried out by the sanitation staff.SHO Ropar, Pawan Kumar said the individuals were requested by officials not to dispose of waste at the location, but they ignored the instructions and persisted with their actions.”Keeping in view the public inconvenience and the need to maintain law and order, preventive action was initiated against them,” the SHO said.The police registered proceedings against the accused under Sections 107 and 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). They were later produced before the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Ropar, on Monday evening and were released on bail.The incident has sparked a wider conversation on civic responsibility at a time when authorities are striving to improve sanitation standards across urban areas.AAP MLA from Ropar, Dinesh Chadha, said the state government had introduced door to door garbage collection services in all urban local bodies to ensure scientific disposal of waste and cleaner surroundings.”It is unfortunate that despite an established garbage collection mechanism, some people continue to throw waste in public places. Such actions defeat the purpose of cleanliness drives. I hope this police action, acts as a deterrent against those who spread filth and disregard civic norms,” Chadha said.The unprecedented action by the Ropar police sends out a clear message maintaining cleanliness is not solely the responsibility of civic agencies, but a collective duty of every citizen said Chadha.