PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) is planning stricter action against people spitting in public places as part of its Swachh Survekshan campaign with officials saying that CCTV-based challans may be introduced once the citywide surveillance network becomes operational.
The corporation has recently installed awareness boards at several public locations asking residents not to spit on roads, walls and public spaces. Civic officials said that the current focus is on spreading awareness and improving public behaviour, but enforcement is expected to become stricter after CCTV cameras are installed across the city.
According to officials, pan and gutka stains continue to remain a major cleanliness issue in Dehradun, especially in markets, government offices, roadside corners and crowded public areas. Walls and pavements stained red from repeated spitting often remain dirty for months and increase maintenance work for the corporation.
Dehradun mayor Saurabh Thapliyal has appealed to residents to support the city’s cleanliness efforts and avoid spitting in public places during the Swachh Survekshan ranking cycle. The officials stated that civic discipline and public hygiene are important factors in sanitation surveys.
The proposed action is also linked to the corporation’s larger CCTV project. Earlier, the civic body had started work on a phased surveillance plan under which nearly 25 cameras are proposed to be installed every year in each ward over five years.
The municipal officials believe better surveillance coverage will help improve enforcement in cases related to littering, illegal dumping, vandalism and public spitting.
For now, the corporation has not started large-scale penalising specifically for spitting offences, but officials confirmed that enforcement mechanisms are being planned along with the CCTV rollout and ongoing Swachh Survekshan awareness drives.
