‘Self control’ tricks people master for long journeys...

HYDERABAD:There is a ‘beautiful’ uniformity in the lack of public toilets across several stretches of the city. Take the case of the 9 km stretch between Rethibowli and Gachibowli for instance. There isn’t a single public toilet anywhere here. The Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation also mandates one toilet every km.

As a result, combined with a lack of civic sense, TSRTC bus drivers and conductors on this route relieve themselves right inside the bus shelters. At the very places built with taxpayers money for public to wait in shade for a bus! “Men have turned these bus shelters into toilets,” rues S Sandeep, who commutes from LB Nagar to Gachibowli for work. The ordeal is all the more harassing for women, who travel long distances for work, without a single toilet in sight. Take the case of M Durga, who travels from ECIL to Wave Rock. There’s not a single public toilet across the 23-km stretch that she travels twice everyday.

“It takes over two hours to commute one way and I have to take ‘necessary precautions’ to avoid nature’s call on the way,” she rues. Holding back without urinating for long durations, or not drinking enough water, on regular basis can lead to serious health complications, say experts. GHMC officials admitted the lack of toilets in the stretch, but added that they would set up Free Smart Integrated Washrooms in Centre, South zone.