Mirror wall fails to shame public urination offenders

Mysore/Mysuru: In an innovative attempt to curb public urination, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) installed a stainless-steel mirror wall along Bengaluru-Nilgiri Road near the Sub-Urban Bus Stand.

However, as the Kannada saying goes, “Nayi bala donku” (a dog’s tail can never be straightened), a recent incident showed that not everyone was deterred by the unusual civic initiative, despite its initial success.

For several years, men had been using the roadside stretch beside a large drain here as an open urinal despite the availability of a public toilet nearby.

The practice caused inconvenience and discomfort to pedestrians, especially women and children passing through the area.

To address the issue, the Mysuru City Corporation, in association with the Vani Vilas Water Works (VVWW), first installed warning boards cautioning violators about penalties. Later, officials came up with a novel idea of fixing stainless-steel reflective panels along an 80-metre compound wall at a cost of about Rs. 9.5 lakh.

The concept was aimed at creating a psychological deterrent by confronting offenders with their own reflection, thereby discouraging them from urinating in public. Initially, the strategy appeared to work and the area remained relatively clean.

However, a recent incident drew attention after a man urinated in front of the mirror wall despite the reflective panels and LED lighting installed at the spot.

In a video that surfaced locally, a passerby is seen confronting the man and admonishing him, while others nearby also expressed anger and disgust over the act. The individual later left the                     place hurriedly.

Officials said that the reflective surface was specially designed to ensure that anyone standing near the wall could be clearly seen by passersby, increasing the sense of public visibility.

LED lights have also been installed around the panels to enhance visibility during the evening and night hours, with the lights switching on automatically along with  the streetlights.