Caught in the act? Rohtak uses cameras and mirrors to fight littering

After fines, warning boards, cleanliness drives and repeated appeals failed to change public behaviour, Rohtak Municipal Corporation has turned to an unconventional solution: making people watch themselves.

In a unique experiment blending surveillance technology with behavioural psychology, the civic body has installed CCTV cameras at chronic garbage dumping hotspots and large mirrors at locations known for public urination. The idea is simple—people may think twice before littering or urinating in public if they feel they are being watched or see their own reflection.

Municipal Commissioner Narendra Kumar said the corporation had identified several spots where garbage dumping continued despite repeated awareness campaigns and cleanliness drives. In the first phase, CCTV cameras have been installed at D-Park, Raj Cinema and Sheila Bypass Chowk, with plans to expand surveillance to more locations in the coming weeks.


Warning boards have also been put up to alert residents that these areas are under CCTV monitoring. In addition to imposing municipal penalties, the corporation plans to display footage of violators on LED screens at Delhi Bypass and Medical Mor.

"The objective is not merely punitive action, but to also instil a sense of civic responsibility," Kumar said.
The corporation's more unusual intervention can be seen beneath the Sheila Bypass. Although the area had earlier been beautified with wall paintings, people continued to urinate there and paste posters on the walls.
To tackle the problem, the civic body has installed a large mirror along the wall.

Officials believe the move is based on a straightforward psychological principle: individuals are less likely to engage in socially undesirable behaviour 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.