KOCHI: Most people's experience using a public toilet may not be a happy one. In such a scenario, when the most basic sanitation facilities seem scare, a gender-neutral toilet is a distant dream. But, not anymore.
As part of its initiatives to make Kochi a better place to live, the Better Kochi Response Group (BKRG) has opened a unique 'Container Toilet' at MG Road near Atlantis Junction with financial assistance from Cochin Shipyard under its CSR initiative.
The facility was inaugurated by Madhu S Nair, chairman and managing director, Cochin Shipyard Ltd, on Friday.The toilet designed by BKRG is being maintained by CREDAI under its 'Clean City Movement' campaign. As it is made in the gender-neutral concept, the toilet will be open for all genders. This will probably the first public toilet for transgenders in Kerala.
"Most of the new toilets fail because of the lack of maintenance. We have a special arrangement with CREDAI which will be maintaining the pay-and-use toilet. The major chunk of the expenses is met by the user charge and income from advertisements," said S Gopakumar, president, BKRG.
The toilet is made inside a 20-feet container suitably modified for the particular use. The interior is finished in high-quality aluminium panels without joints which maintain top hygiene. It will smartly utilise the daylight through glass fixed on the roof. A ramp is provided for wheelchair access and it also has space for janitor store and attendant. The facility built out of unused shipping containers in a factory can be easily shifted to the site for service connections.
An advertisement area and a space for a vertical garden have been added to enhance the aesthetics of the space. Internal lighting is done through LED lights.
"We are planning to install 15 to 20 such toilets in various parts of the city in coordination with organisations like Cochin Corporation, GCDA, KWA, PWD and KSRTC by allocating land at suitable locations. Kochi Metro has come out with two or three locations. Apart from the existing facilities, we will install napkin vending machines in the upcoming projects," he added.