Mumbai: The BMC’s ‘good morning’ squads, which prevent people from defecating in the open, has booked 576 people and collected ₹57,600 in fines over the past fortnight.
Set up after the city was declared open defecation free (ODF), the squad begins work at 5.30 a.m. It comprises 180 civic workers and officers, self-help groups, NGOs, students and social workers, divided into 36 teams. “The squad warns people against open defecation. Offenders are fined if they refuse to stop despite repeated warning,” civic officials said.
Besides monitoring areas where open defecation is prevalent, these teams have been tasked with checking if residents have access to toilets. These teams comprise of representatives of local bodies, working in the area of sanitation and cleanliness.
The BMC has set up 8,000 public toilets, and has made 800 toilet blocks temporary available for people where toilets are still being constructed. It has also introduced Mumbai Toilet Locator, a mobile app connected via GPS to over 800 pay-and-use toilets. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has also proposed constructing public toilets every few kilometres across the State.
