BENGALURU: Over 1,000 families in Kalahalli area, located near Halasuru, suffer daily when they are forced to use the doorless, dilapidated public toilets in their area. Despite a proposal to renovate the 10 toilets at a cost of nearly Rs one lakh announced in last year’s BBMP budget, there has been no progress so far. Officials and politicians have their excuses ready when asked for an answer.
At the end of the 4th Cross are five toilets for men and five for women. All the toilets marked for men do not have doors. Of the five toilets for women, one does not have a door and another has the lower half missing. Those with doors do not have latches!
“I have to always be there whenever my 9-year-old daughter Nirmala wants to use it. We do not have one at home. So, we walk over 300 metres to reach this place,” says Soundari, who works as a domestic maid. Nirmala wants to know why the area does not have the same toilet facilities that her school has.
“My husband passed away in a train accident. So I am the only one who has to accompany her each time. She spotted big snakes there twice and controls herself from using a toilet sometimes out of fear,” Soundari adds.
Selvi N, who works as a housekeeping staff, says, “Though many of us have built toilets at homes, the sewage pipelines are chewed by the rats. Until we pay money and someone comes over to set it right, we are forced to use these public toilets only.”
A BBMP contracted staffer used to clean the toilets earlier. He has stopped doing it for over a year now. Water is not a problem though as it is supplied by a borewell and stored in a tank inside.
Adding to their misery is the fact that the toilets do not have a ‘Men’ and ‘Women’ demarcation put out anywhere. While localites are aware of it, construction workers in nearby streets or visitors to the two temples nearby come over to use them. “One of us have to keep on telling them not to enter the ladies’ toilet,” says homemaker Shashikala.
RTI activist Kalidas Reddy, who resides close by, has been regularly knocking at the doors of officials and local politicians on behalf of the residents.Asked about it, Assistant Executive Engineer, BBMP, Doreswamy says that four tenders had been called for by the civic body. “No contractor came forward to execute the job. It is only in the fifth tender that we have found someone who is ready to build toilets in Kalahalli and a few neighbouring areas. Work will begin soon,” he said. The contractor has commenced work at Kadharnapalya and will start after completing work there.
C V Raman Nagar MLA Raghu asked Express to check the status with the local corporator. Corporator Sasirekha Mukund said,”The work has not yet started because of delay on the part of the contractor. It will start shortly.”