Open defecation: Indore municipal corporation confused about how to fine violators

INDORE: While Indore municipal commissioner has issued an order banning open-defecation in 10 wards of the city, most officials of the civic body seemed confused about how to catch and fine the violators.

While stopping open-defecation is essential for maintaining hygiene in the city, most officials of the concerned department were seen laughing when asked about how they plan to enforce the ban.

“They come out early in the morning. Who’ll be interested in spoiling his sleep to catch people defecating? I think the order has been issued more for creating awareness than implementation,” an official of sewerage department of the civic body said.

The health department officials agreed that they have to execute it but were not sure how that would happen. “We along with an agency will act against people against whom regular complaints are made. We will also create awareness regarding the issue,” said an official of the health department, who did not wish to be named.

When asked if a complaint against someone would be enough to levy penalty, the official replied, “What do you want? We take a stick and run behind them?”

“It is the order of the commissioner. So something needs to be done. I think my seniors would be able to explain the process in details,” a junior official of the health department said.

However, IMC commissioner Manish Singh said that the notice was a step forward in making the city free of

open defecation

and seemed optimistic that the work would work.

He said that while the field officials would carry out the work of levying fine, they would provide facilities that would urge people not to urinate or defecate in the open.

“We have started our work. We are building public toilets across the city. If people find a toilet every half a kilometre, the problem will automatically come to an end,” Singh said.