Civic authorities are stepping up drives against those who use public places as toilets, with Jamshedpur deciding to prosecute offenders just like Ranchi where peeing and defecation in the open is being acted upon with renewed vigour.

On Monday, the enforcement team of Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC) patrolled areas around Jubilee Park and nearby roads in Sakchi and Bistupur. As many as 10 people were fined anything between Rs 10 and Rs 500. Now, civic officers plan to do the rounds of vulnerable open defecation spots, especially near the banks of Kharkai and Subernarekha rivers and crack the whip against offenders.

“JNAC started prosecuting those peeing in the open at Jubilee Park in August 2015. But after a few days, the drive was discontinued. This January and February, JNAC started prosecuting offenders again. However, after the swachh team inspections ended in March, the drive petered out,” said a JNAC officer.

He admitted JNAC would step up the drive again since a swachh survekshan team was expected again in January 2019.

Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) city manager Sandeep Kumar, who is in-charge of the swachh mission said they have been prosecuting offenders periodically.

“We do prosecute those who defecate and urinate in the open... But now we will start prosecution with more vigour,” said Sandeep Kumar.

However, Dhanbad Municipal Corporation (DMC) has not chalked out any fresh plans as yet.

“We are focusing more on creating awareness. We would like people to change their behaviour. However, if people don’t mend their ways then we will soon start prosecuting violators,” said Dhanbad additional municipal commissioner Mahesh Kumar Santhalia.

In the 2018 swachh suarvekshan rankings, Ranchi was placed 21st while Jamshedpur finished 30th and Dhanbad 53rd.

Steel city residents believe, and perhaps rightly so, that drives against open defecation and the like should be a regular affair instead of knee-jerk enforcement carried out before a swachh survey.

“It seems civic bodies are more interested about impressing field surveyors during the pan-India swachh survekshan. All they want is good rankings. They are not interested in conducting a regular drive to prosecute as was being done against traffic violators,” said Mango resident Shiv Pujan Singh (75).

JNAC city manager in-charge of swachh mission Shakil Mehdi Anwar, however, claimed that this time they would continue with the prosecution drive round-the-year. On Monday, he said 10 people were fined for peeing in the open at Jubilee Park and on Straight Mile Road in Sakchi.

“We have decided to carry out surprise raids at vulnerable spots throughout the year. We have also directed the enforcement team accordingly. We are also in the process of forming a database so that habitual offenders are identified and fined more,” he said.