When someone asks you why is there so much litter on the roads in India, the most off the cuff reply is that “Its cultural” or “People don’t care”. I live in a gated society in Bangalore and the streets inside are cleaner than any western country. People inside do seem to care. The moment they step out, they seem to stop caring. This is because they pay a hefty maintenance to the RWA and hold it accountable. On the other hand the property tax that we pay BBMP is insignificant and we are used to getting substandard services. You get what you pay for. The local councils rely on funds from the state and central governments. It is a broken window that nobody wants to fix. The most effective way to fix this is to have the local councils collect tax directly for public amenities. If you pay more, you will hold the authorities more accountable and vote them out in the next elections. This will create incentives for local corporators to provide better services. If the streets are clean, fewer people will litter. This is the virtuous cycle we need. It is not “cultural”. The system incentivises wrong behaviours.