People's participation is must to take the cause forward

It's very important to have such kind of an awareness campaign... this will go a long way to ensure that people don't spit in public places.

According to the Bombay Police Act, there is a provision as per which a person can be charged and fined if found spitting or littering in public places. And, if I am not wrong, it has always been a joint effort by the Mumbai police and BMC (to tackle the menace).

However, I will admit that there are very rare cases where such a law is enforced and there are reasons for it. We have a number of responsibilities which rank high up in the priority order, the police force has to take care of law and order, crime, and terror threats to the city.

I believe that the most important thing a citizen can do is exercise self-restraint (with respect to spitting and littering), because no matter how much the police enforce the law, as long as citizens themselves don't feel like keeping their own city clean, it won't yield the desired results. People's participation alone will take the cause forward.

That said, if the government brings in a law that will make spitting in public places a serious offence, we will surely implement it and cooperate with whichever agency is asked to implement it.

Dhananjay Kamlakar, joint commissioner of police (law and order)