Rohtak: After fines, warning boards, cleanliness drives, and repeated appeals failed to change public habits, the Rohtak Municipal Corporation is trying a novel approach: making people watch themselves.
Surveillance and Psychology Combine
In an unusual experiment that merges surveillance technology with behavioral psychology, the corporation has installed CCTV cameras at chronic garbage dumping points and large mirrors at locations notorious for public urination. The hope is that the fear of being watched, or seeing one's own reflection, will discourage offenders.
Municipal Commissioner Narendra Kumar explained that several locations were identified where garbage continued to be dumped despite repeated drives. In the first phase, CCTV cameras have been installed at D-Park, Raj Cinema, and Sheila Bypass Chowk, with additional locations to be brought under surveillance soon.
Warning Boards and LED Screens
Warning boards at these sites inform residents that the areas are under CCTV monitoring. Besides municipal penalties, the corporation plans to display footage of violators on LED screens installed at Delhi Bypass and Medical Mor. "The objective is not merely punitive action, but to also instill a sense of civic responsibility," Kumar said.
Mirrors as a Deterrent
The more unusual intervention, however, is beneath the Sheila Bypass. The site had earlier been beautified with wall paintings, but people continued to urinate there and deface the walls with posters. The civic body has now installed a large mirror along the wall.
Officials say the idea is rooted in a simple psychological principle: people are less likely to engage in socially undesirable behavior when they feel observed or are confronted with their own image. "The intervention is based on a simple psychological principle. Individuals tend to avoid such acts when they feel observed or see themselves. We hope it will help preserve the cleanliness and aesthetics of public spaces," Kumar said.
