BENGALURU: When most areas in Bengaluru are suffering from a lack of public toilets, there seems to be a problem of plenty in Whitefield.
Despite two e-toilets being present at one end of the playground located along Inner Circle Road in Hagadur ward,
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) seems intent on adding two traditional toilets, less than 20ft away.
Digging and preparations started at the spot on July 18, leaving nearby residents confused about the need for such a facility and the urgency with which it was being taken up.
Inner Circle Road, in the heart of Whitefield, and only 50 metres from Whitefield Main Road, is frequently used by walkers. The Inner Circle Road runs along the periphery of the park and playground and is visited by hundreds of citizens every day. The long-standing need for a toilet had been met three years ago, when Xerox came forward to fund two e-toilets and foot the annual maintenance bill.
"Work is progressing at a frenetic pace. This is a clear case of misuse of public funds. The reason given by BBMP is that the e-toilets are not in working condition. The actual reason is that the administration has failed to maintain water levels in these e-toilets; obviously, without water, it is not possible to maintain any toilet," said Pravir Bagrodia, a resident.
Deepa Peck, who lives 10 0m from where the toilets are coming up, said the toilets should, instead, come up on Whitefield Main Road, where more people will be able to use them.
"There are already two toilets which are not well-maintained. Instead of ensuring uninterrupted water supply, they are building toilets that would need to be manually cleaned. There are shopkeepers, autodrivers and others who urinate in public places due to lack of toilets. That should be addressed instead of building them here," she said.
A member of Hagadur wa rd committee said construction of the toilets had never come up for discussion.
"The e-toilets built by Xerox just need regular supply of water, and the company is also footing the maintenance amount. All of a sudden, we found out that toilets are being constructed. We want the location to be reconsidered so that it can serve more people, and public money is not wasted. There are no public toilets in the whole ward, and they would be used more on Whitefield Main Road," the member said.
S Uday Kumar, Hagadur ward corporator, said the toilets were coming up to cater to residents' demands.
"E-toilets are never in wor king condition, and constantly need repairs. Many people also don't know how to use them. All those coming to the park and playground can use these facilities, which will be run on payment basis so they can be kept clean. There are also incidents of kids putting dummy coins into the slot and spoiling it," he said, adding that toilets would also come up on Whitefield Main Road.
There are two e-toilets in Hagadur ward
