Bhopal: Firdaus Mahila Udyan, the city’s first park exclusively for women lacks basic amenities like toilet. And this is in the state capital which boasts of being the country’s 2nd cleanliest city, twice in a row. After the women complaint, the authorities did get a women’s toilet constructed but the very purpose was defeated as it was located outside the park and that too adjacent to men’s lavatory.
The garden, located near Kamla Park, was inaugurated way back in 2010 by the then Mayor Krishna Gaur. The park was conceived and developed with the idea to provide a space to women where they could move leisurely without fear of being harassed. The park remains open for eleven hours and is frequented by hundreds of women every day.
While developing the park, the idea of constructing a toile completely slipped from the minds of the authorities. Visitors coming to the park rued lack of toilet and when the matter reached Mayor, she directed construction of toilet inside the park. Following her orders, a toilet though was built, but outside the park and that to adjacent to men’s toilet.
Today this toilet is used by the local shopkeepers, customers and others visitors. Krishna Gaur when contacted said that the park was developed during her tenure as she wanted an exclusive park for women to give them some privacy. When women started visiting the park they complained of lack of toilet and taking note of it I directed authorities to get one toiled constructed on the premises, said Gaur. However, I am clueless as whether they got it constructed or not, she added.
BMC deputy commissioner BD Bhumarkar too expressed her ignorance about location of the presence of toilet, whether it is in the park or outside the premises. I will look into it and ensure that the park has one toilet, added Bhumarkar.