Nagpur: Public urinals in the city, even the pay and use ones, are in a mess, so much so that no one dares to use the facility which is supposed to for ‘public convenience’.
In Itwari, for example, one is constrained to use the poorly maintained facility out of sheer urgency and due to absence of any sanitized alternative. Women — the worst sufferers of abject lack of public urinals — are not allowed to use this urinal though the board says the facility is for women too.
With absolutely no check or monitoring by the NMC’s sanitary department, the situation is no different at around 61 such pay & use facilities across the city.
On Friday, independent corporator Abha Pande lodged a complaint with deputy municipal commissioner Jayant Dandegaonkar about the ill-maintained public toilet in Itwari, one of city’s busiest and bustling commercial hubs.
After receiving many complaints from public, Pande on Friday visited the pay & use toilet facility in Itwari and was shocked to find that an 80-year-old man was appointed as caretaker. There was not a drop of water at the toilet but still visitors were forced to pay Rs4 for using it, she alleged.
Despite the facility being meant for both men and women, Pande was shocked to find out that women were not allowed to use the toilet. She also found empty bottles of liquors, hinting that anti-social elements have made it their den. Dandegaonkar assured to look into the matter.
Pande said the situation is no different in other pay and use facilities across the city. Nagpur, with a population of about 24 lakh (as per 2011 census), should have over 24,000 public toilets in accordance with the World Health Organization standards. But the city has a mere 400 public toilets, including 67 pay and use toilets with 352 urinals.
TOI has been highlighting the civic body’s lackadaisical attitude resulting in more than half the public toilets being rendered not fit for use. Besides, these are grossly insufficient. Even two public interest litigations filed in Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court have failed to awaken the NMC.
“Necessary action is needed to maintain public toilets in good condition. If this wasn’t enough, places witnessing high footfall such as Sitabuldi, Sadar, Dharampeth, Sakkardara, lack public toilets,” said the corporator.
In shambles
