Residents of Assam’s Tinsukia have largely backed the Municipal Board’s controversial “Hall of Shame” campaign, under which CCTV footage of people allegedly caught urinating in public or littering is displayed on LED screens across the town. While welcoming stricter enforcement, many residents have also called for better public sanitation facilities to ensure lasting behavioural change.
The initiative, launched as part of a cleanliness drive by the Tinsukia Municipal Board, recently drew nationwide attention after Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora highlighted it on social media, triggering a wider debate on balancing civic enforcement with public infrastructure.
Using CCTV cameras installed at several locations, the municipality identifies alleged offenders and displays their images on LED screens at prominent public places. Officials say the move is intended to discourage public urination and littering through public awareness and deterrence.
Many residents supported the campaign, saying people would think twice before violating civic norms if they knew they were being monitored. However, they stressed that the administration must also improve basic sanitation infrastructure.
Residents pointed out that the shortage of public toilets, particularly in busy markets and commercial areas, remains a major challenge. They argued that while strict action is necessary, the government must also ensure adequate, clean and easily accessible public conveniences.
At the same time, some residents expressed concerns over privacy and dignity, saying enforcement should be carried out without unnecessarily humiliating individuals. They called for a balanced approach that upholds civic discipline while respecting personal dignity.
The campaign was introduced after an earlier attempt by the Municipal Board to discourage public urination by installing large mirrors at several hotspots failed to produce the desired results.
Residents also said open urination creates unhygienic conditions and causes inconvenience to pedestrians, especially schoolchildren. They urged the Municipal Board to increase the number of free and pay-and-use public toilets across Tinsukia, maintaining that stricter enforcement alone cannot solve the problem without adequate civic infrastructure.