Officials to post online photos of those defecating in open

In a bid to curb open defecation, the officials in Mathura have decided to post the pictures of the offenders on social networking sites.

The decision comes close on the heels of Lucknow Muncipal Corporations’s new rule to impose fine on those peeing in the public area.

According to the sources, officials in Mathura district on Saturday visited several villages as part of the Swachh Bharat campaign to have a first assessment of the progress of the campaign.

Sources said that the officials caught several people defecating in the open. They also posted their pictures on the social networking sites. “The objective is to make them realise that they have done something wrong...something they should not be doing,” said a district official in Mathura.

The official said posting of pictures of the offenders would work as a deterrent to others. “Such an action will certainly deter others,” he said rejecting contention that it was meant to “humiliate” the offenders.

Barely a few months back, the district authorities had launched a programme with the help of a voluntary organisation to construct public toilets in different villages in the district.

The decision to expose those defecating in the open on the social sites comes within days of the decision by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation to impose a fine of Rs 500 on any one found peeing in the open.

The local body had recently adopted a bill to enact a law in this regard.