“Halla bol, lungi khol": Ranchi civic body's mantra to stop open defecation for Swachh Bharat

The deadline to make urban areas open defecation free is just a week away and officials of Ranchi municipal corporation have decided to do everything it takes to stop the menace. Ranchi Municipal Corporation has resorted to naming and shaming those defecating in the open with an unabashed slogan, "Halla bol, lungi khol". Under this slogan, officials will simply take away the lungi (a cloth wrap popularly used in the region) of one defecating in the open and return it only after their apologize, pay a fine and pledge never to defecate in the open.

The Civic body modified the slogan to "halla bol, khule mein shauch karne waale ko door le jaa ke chhod" on Monday. Officials held 10 people for defecating in the open on Sunday alone and forced them to surrender their lungis to the RMC enforcement teams. Their lungis were returned only after they pledged that they would not defecate in the open again. They were also made to pay a fine of Rs 100 each.

On Monday officials picked up those defecating in the open and dropped them some kilometres away. They were forced to walk back home after taking the pledge to use toilets. Eight people wer made to walk for quite a distance so a message is sent across on Monday.

Officials claim that the efforts are only to help people understand that defecating in the open could cause them embarrassment. In a quote to a newspaper, Jharkhand Urban Development Minister C P Singh, who is also the Ranchi MLA, said, "It is just a part of the entire exercise. We have constructed toilets. Water supply is being provided wherever required. We have to raise awareness".

He is also quoted as stating that multiple drives and awareness campaigns have been taken up to stop people from defecating in the open. FInes have also been imposed and now officials are resorting to these measures. "This is not aimed at harassing people. The idea is to create some sort of deterrence," he said.

The civic body has appointed 18 enforcement teams to carry out such drives. "The drive is part of a multi-pronged strategy to make people aware that they are not doing the right thing by defecating in the open. Public ostracism is often a good deterrence. The results show that these initiatives are helping to check the number of those who defecate in the open," Municipal Commissioner Shantanu Agrahari was quoted as saying.

Not everyone is in agreement with the way the drive is taking shape. Ranchi's Mayor Asha Lakra has objected to the drive. She claimed that no formal orders were passed and suggested alternative ways to create awareness.

While many houses are yet to have a toilet, the officials are enouraging people to use public toilets that have been built. Their focus is to achieve zero urban open defecation before the October 2 deadline.

The people, however, believe that the drive is only a burden due to lack of public toilets. In some places, there are no toilets for men while in others, they are non-functional or non-usable. The raids are being conducted near slum areas where most residents are daily wagers, laborers, rickshaw-pullers, auto-rickshaw drivers and a fine of Rs 100 is a huge burden.

According to municipal officials, a total of 31,559 toilets have been constructed as part of the ODF campaign. They assure that water facilites have also been made but people refuse to use the same.

OneIndia News