LMC launches ‘good morning’ drive to check open defecation

The Lucknow Municipal Corporation has launched an aggressive campaign to check open defecation and ensure a berth for Lucknow in the top 10 cleanest cities of the country.

As part of its ‘good morning campaign’ on Wednesday, LMC squads chased away as many as 50 people found defecating in the open in slum areas near Ramleela ground.

Initially, the residents resisted the campaign but the police accompanying the squad ensured that they fall in line.

The people then agreed to use nearby public toilets and construct toilets in their own houses.

In the past, residents of Daliganj arranged for a temporary community toilet for themselves were stopped and made aware of the ill-effects of open defecation.

Additional municipal commissioner PK Srivastava said the elders of slum colony later thanked the LMC officials for forcing them to construct toilets as it made the women feel safer.

“All this has been achieved in just seven days,” he said.

The campaign aims at declaring the city free of open defecation by December.

There is a provision of a fine of Rs 5,000 on those who do not fall in line despite warning.

Tariq Anwar, a resident of slum colony near Ramleela ground in Sadar, said: “The public toilet is about 200 metres away, therefore, people used to avoid it. After the tough stance taken by the LMC, people have decided to use public toilets.”

Municipal commissioner Udairaj Singh said the LMC had started creating awareness and were chasing away people defecating in the open.

Under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the LMC has formed squads in all the eight zones of the city and has identified about 400 areas where people defecate.

“We had identified 20,000 houses without toilets. This means around one lakh residents have been defecating in the open. We have launched an aggressive campaign. These families have been given financial aid of Rs 8,000 and 50% of them have constructed toilets. The remaining families are being motivated to construct toilets in their homes or use public toilets,” the municipal commissioner said.

The LMC is also planning to construct 470 public toilets on PPP model. There are only 220 public toilets on a population of 33 lakh.

“Public toilets are required to make the city clean. There are only 220 public toilets in Lucknow and 470 additional toilets are required,” Singh said.

We had identified 20K houses without toilets. This means around one lakh residents have been defecating in the open. These families have been given financial aid of ₹8,000 and 50% of them have constructed toilets UDAIRAJ SINGH, municipal commissioner