With the civic elections scheduled for early next year, the BMC appears to be exercising extra caution while dealing with certain sensitive cases. Aware that taking harsh action against people caught defecating in the open may backfire, the BMC has asked its staff to handle such cases with tact.

In a review meeting on Saturday, BMC chief Ajoy Mehta instructed his officials to explain to offenders the problems of defecating in the open, instead of “humiliating” them in public. Last year, the civic body drew a lot of flak after a ward officer from a western suburb had begun to shame offenders publicly.