Whistle blowers to stop open defecation in Noida

NOIDA: Adarsh Seva Samiti, an NGO hired by Noida Authority, has begun an anti-open defecation drive under the Swachh Bharat Mission. From September 26 to October 2, volunteers in small groups will spread across the city and blow whistles to stop those found defecating in the open.

“Noida is in the process of releasing a policy for making the city open defecation-free under the Swachh Bharat Mission. The Authority has appointed more than 125 people through NGO Adarsh Seva Samiti, who will visit various parts of the city to make people aware about the sanitation and health problems caused by open defecation. Volunteers will whistle to stop those defecating in the open and ask them to use public or community toilets created by the Authority or their own private toilets instead,” said Rajesh Kumar Singh, officer on special duty, Noida Authority.

The move is similar to the “dabba gangs” employed by Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) in 2016-17. Under the drive, volunteers from a local NGO hired by IMC would rattle coins in a box in front of those found defecating in the open. “This was a means to name and shame culprits and deter them from open defecation,” said Rohan Saxena, additional municipal commissioner, INC. Indore was declared the cleanest city of India two years in a row under Swachh Bharat Survekshan 2017 and 2018.

On Monday, the Authority held a workshop with the NGO on the drive against open defecation and sanitation at the Sector 39 community centre, in which over 125 volunteers participated.