Ahmedabad Corporation swoops in on people defecating in the open

It came as a shock for citizens of the north zone of the city who were answering nature's call in the open early on Saturday morning.

They would have never thought that at the break of dawn, while defecating in the open, somebody would show up to stop them! Such was the situation when AMC health officials targeted those who were defecating on the open roads, footpaths and other public places.

Dr Chirag Shah, deputy health officer of north zone, along with five sanitation officers of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) visited Asarva on Saturday. It is part of the health officials' job to conduct raids on places like unhygienic soda factories, cold water manufacturing units, adulterated ghee sellers, etc.

But the check conducted on Saturday morning was unique in many ways. The officials caught hold of citizens defecating in the open and stopped them by taking away the water mugs that they carrying to 'wash up'. People who were carrying water in plastic bags watched in dismay their bags being torn open with blades by the AMC officials.

Speaking to DNA, Dr Chirag Shah said, "When we approached these people and stopped a few of them, the others ran away. We also found that some people living in chaali had access to free public toilets, yet they went out for defecation. This clearly indicates their habits. Also, 80% of the houses near Chamunda Bridge, where we conducted the check, had independent toilets in their houses but still they opted to defecate in the open."

He further said that there are free public toilets and also pay-and-use ones, but people still defecate in the open. Although the civic body has provided all necessary facilities to citizens, they do not use them, he complained.