Multi-purpose restrooms for target groups soon

Thiruvananthapuram: The civic body has shortlisted three places in the city to establish multi-purpose restrooms aimed at specific target groups.
The joint project by works standing committee and town planning standing committee will be implemented at Pattom, East Fort and Medical College.
The Trivandrum Development Authority (TRIDA) has already communicated to city corporation regarding the handing over of around 2.5 cents at Medical College. The corporation plans to build a restroom complex, which will have toilet block for women, a resting area, a cloak room and spot for refreshments.
The contract for setting up the complex near Medical College bus stand will be awarded to TRIDA.
A similar facility is also being planned at puramboke (unused revenue) land owned by the housing board at Pattom. This is mainly for job aspirants arriving at PSC office, where their accompanying relatives can spend time during competitive examinations.
“A building with toilet facilities, breast-feeding kiosks and facility for refreshments is being planned at Pattom. We hope to get the land from the housing board,” said Palayam Rajan, chairman, town planning standing committee.
The third multi-purpose restroom will come up at East Fort, where the corporation has identified a spot.
S Pushpalatha, chairperson, works standing committee said the corporation has adequate funds for the project.
“This project is expected to address the basic needs of regular commuters and those who visit the city for various purposes,” she said.
The city corporation had earlier pitched the proposal to utilize unused spaces to deal with the shortage of land. The project, however, did not materialize. The civic body also struggled with the proper upkeep of public toilets under its ownership.
As per the figures presented in the assembly, the corporation paints a dismal picture in terms of providing adequate number of toilets.
There are nine toilets in the city which are maintained on pay and use mode with minimal fee of Re 1 and maximum of Rs 10. The civic body itself had said that the number of toilets is inadequate.
Mayor V K Prasanth had recently inspected five public toilets in the city and many women had reported feeling unsafe in them. It was also alleged that some of the contractors were collecting more than the prescribed charges without improving the infrastructure.