Low-flying drones hovering in the sky will now identify those who defecate in the open in some rural areas in Haryana.

After Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, district authorities in Yamunanagar in Haryana are now deploying drones to put an end to the practice of open defecation in rural areas.

Interestingly, certain areas in Haryana have been witnessing a pattern of sorts wher people still go out into the open to defecate even though many of them have functional toilets at home. This has left authorities flummoxed, which is why officials say, this tendency has to be curtailed.

Yamunanagar lost the race to be declared an “Open Defecation Free” district to two others in the state, perhaps, also because of this “unexplained” pattern of rural people going out in the open to attend nature’s call.

The government has now found the solution to the problem — to use drones. Officials said drones will fly for four hours in the morning daily in at least six villages in Yamunanagar.

These flying objects, fitted with cameras will collect data for authorities to take appropriate action. The utilisation of drones for this purpose, for now, is being done on a pilot basis.

Depending on the response of villagers, the number of drones will be increased and extended to other rural areas in the state.

But the initiative has a flip side. Cameras on drones recording people defecating in the open could invite the anger of the villagers. Top district officials involved in the process said the task may give rise to other challenges. The success of this new initiative will hinge upon the confidence and support of the villagers.

To deal with unforeseen situations and ensure that the plan works smoothly to meet the desired objectives, the district administration has constituted a committee comprising village locals and officials.