Ahmedabad: Traffic junction CCTVs being used to nab spitters

"An e-memo is issued in his name and he is required to pay a fine of Rs 100 at the nearest civic centre," he said, adding that it was being helmed by the civic body's Solid Waste department.

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has begun issuing e-memos to people caught spitting by CCTV cameras installed at traffic signals, in what officials called a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country. The first such e-memo was issued on Saturday last week, said, officials.

"Cameras installed at traffic junctions capture images of a person sitting on the road from his vehicle. The owner is identified on the basis of the vehicle number from the government database," explained an Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation official. "An e-memo is issued in his name and he is required to pay a fine of Rs 100 at the nearest civic centre," he said, adding that it was being helmed by the civic body's Solid Waste department.

"A lot of people are seen spitting on the roads from their vehicles while driving or waiting at traffic signals," he added. "The e-memos, issued as per public health by-laws 2012, are sent to the addresses of the people caught spitting.

The AMC has become the first in the country to start an initiative of this kind," said Harshad Solanki, Director, Solid Waste department of the AMC. So far, these cameras were being used to issue e-memos for traffic violations, officials added.

Ahmedabad was ranked the "cleanest big city" in the Centre's 2019 Swachh Survekshan survey.