Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has proposed construction of toilets every few kilometres in the state.
Mumbai:
Among its numerous initiatives to curb open defecation across the state, the Maharashtra government has now decided to form squads to dissuade people from relieving in the open. These 'Good Morning' teams have been asked to not only monitor areas where open defecation is still prevalent, but also check whether residents have access to toilets.
These teams will comprise representatives of local bodies, self-help groups, NGOs, students and social workers working in the area of sanitation and cleanliness. They have also been authorised to report to civic bodies in case they find that in certain areas, access to toilets was being denied.
In case these teams find people who despite access to an existing toilet facility were relieving themselves in the open, they would penalise them.
Just last month, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had proposed construction of public toilets every few kilometres in the state. He reiterated that the government is trying to make the state open defecation free and for that proper sanitation facilities are required at a larger scale. These toilets will help address the sanitation issues to a great extent.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) also introduced a mobile application, Mumbai Toilet Locator, that has connected over 800 pay-and-use toilets in Mumbai through GPS.
(With inputs from PTI)