Sambalpur (Odisha), Jul 4 (PTI) Defecation in the open will attract a hefty penalty of Rs 500 here, an official said.

"Though there are many community toilets across the city, many people are found defecating in open, putting the people at risk of various diseases. Therefore, we have decided to impose fine on violators," Deputy Commissioner of Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) Sudhanhu Bhoi said yesterday.

"We have decided to enforce the decision in four wards in the first phase. The decision will be implemented in the other wards phase wise," Bhoi said.

There are over 21 community toilets in Sambalpur and work for 19 others are going on in full swing. A target has been set to complete the work by August this year, SMC sources said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)