The Tinsukia Municipal Board in Assam has begun displaying images of people caught urinating in public on LED screens across the town after other cleanliness campaigns failed. The move, aimed at deterring civic violations, gained national attention when Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora shared the initiative on social media.
Public Shaming as a Deterrent
Tinsukia, a commercial hub in eastern Assam with a population of nearly one lakh, installed CCTV cameras to monitor public urination and littering. A municipal official stated that repeated awareness campaigns had no effect, prompting the decision to publicly display violators' footage.
“We had issued several appeals to the public not to litter or urinate in the open. But nothing worked. So, we decided to use technology and display the photographs of the violators caught on CCTV cameras installed in the town," the official said.
National Debate on Civic Enforcement
Deora highlighted the campaign on social media, asking whether Mumbai’s civic body could adopt a similar approach against habitual offenders. He emphasized the need for clean and accessible public toilets alongside enforcement measures.
“Our purpose is not to violate privacy or shame people but to create a sense of fear to abide by civic norms in order to maintain hygiene and cleanliness in Tinsukia," the official added.
Mixed Reactions to the Campaign
The initiative sparked debate online. Supporters argued that public shaming could act as a deterrent where fines and awareness campaigns have failed. Critics, however, raised concerns about privacy violations, even if the goal was to improve public hygiene.
