Thanks to Cost, It's Goodbye e-toilets

CORPORATION:Just when the city was getting used to clean public toilets with remote maintenance and auto flush, the BBMP has decided not to install any more.

Each e-toilet costs Rs 5 lakh, and BBMP Administrator Dr Vijay Bhaskar says they are also expensive to maintain.

Of 75 e-toilets planned, 25 have already been commissioned. The BBMP is now going in for regular toilets, and calling tenders for 250 at different locations, according to Vijay Bhaskar.

Citizens have been praising the e-toilets, saying they are clean and hassle-free. “Manned toilets are sometimes so dirty you can’t even step inside. They don’t store enough water, and some are locked all the time,” said Nirmala Kumarswamy, who works with Microland.

Many citizens also complain the contractors in charge of toilet maintenance collect Rs 5 instead of the prescribed Rs 2.