Encouraging our litterbug citizens to use public toilets has been one of the most daunting tasks for civic authorities in India. Various preventive methods like penalising, naming and shaming, as well as, educating offenders have done little to put an end to open defecation.
But the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has come up with a unique initiative. We have all heard of pay-per-use-toilets but ‘get-paid-per-use’ toilet is something which sounds too weird to be true.
The corporation plans to pay Re 1 for every person using the nearest public toilet in a bid to popularise its usage. The scheme will be implemented in 67 nuisance creating spots. The AMC sanitary department also plans to advertise the scheme near open defecation sites and even impose heavy fines on the offenders.
Pravin Patel, Standing Committee Chairman said , “We are going to implement this project because people near 67 pay and use toilets are found defecating in the open. Some even defecate on footpaths and pose a major public health risk. Our move will encourage people to use public toilets and AMC officials will also explain their family to do the same.”
Darechowk in Katmandu, Nepal was the first place to come up with the initiative. Surprisingly, the initiative was a success. AMC thus aims to reap benefits on similar lines.
Let us wait and watch if a ‘reward’ of Re 1 can really encourage citizens to use public toilets.