VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court has made it clear that it is a constitutional responsibility of a government to provide public toilets for the convenience of citizens, and the reign which fails to provide such basic amenities cannot claim to be a welfare state.
The court observed that the right to a clean and healthy life forms an integral part of the right to life, and emphasised that governments are duty-bound not only to construct adequate public toilets but also to ensure their proper upkeep.
Justice Gannamaneni Ramakrishna Prasad delivered the ruling while dismissing a petition filed by K Chinnaswamy Setty and two others seeking to halt the construction of public toilets on the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) land near Maddilapalem Bus Depot in Vizag.
Accepting the arguments of the GVMC, the court held that the toilets are being built solely for public convenience. The High Court noted that the availability of public toilets helps safeguard the privacy and dignity of women and transgenders and alleviates their safety concerns. However, it stressed that mere construction of toilets is not enough, and that the GVMC authorities have a responsibility to maintain them in a hygienic manner.
The court made it clear that both the GVMC and Lotus International would be responsible for maintaining the toilets being constructed near the bus depot, and residents are free to bring any lapses in upkeep to the notice of the authorities.
Rejecting the plea to stop the construction of toilets, the court said ensuring public sanitation facilities is crucial to protecting citizens’ health, dignity and right to life.