BENGALURU: Bengaluru needs at least 1,100 more public toilet complexes if it has to match the national guidelines set by Swachh Bharath Mission, a survey by Janaagraha has revealed.According to the guidelines, a floating population of five lakh should have one toilets seat per 100 men and two per 100 women. Bengaluru, that has over one crore population has just 2,838 toilet seats in 473 public toilet complexes. So, going by these numbers, the city needs at least 1,100 more public toilet complexes, said the survey.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Sapna Karim, Head Civic Participation, Janaagraha said as many as 63 wards out of 198 do not have any public toilets. “Of these 63 wards, 42 wards are in core Bengaluru that constitute 61 per cent of the city’s population,’’ she said.The Swachh Bharath Mission (SBM) guidelines indicate that the city requires one toilet complex for every 7 km, but in Bengaluru it is one toilet in every 24 km stretch.
When it comes to cleanliness, the survey says 76 per cent male and 70 per cent female toilets are usable, while 59 per cent male and 58 per cent female toilets have adequate lighting. The report also says 63 per cent of male toilets and 42 per cent female toilets have wash basins and 47 per cent have clean floors. Only 10 per cent male toilets and six per cent female ones have functional flushes and an average of 13 per cent toilets do not have dustbins. The absence of flushes result in unhygienic conditions which are a health hazard.
The survey noted that privately maintained toilets are better with a score of 7.4 whereas the BBMP maintained toilets score much lesser.The survey also revealed that out of 473 public toilet complexes, 204 toilet complexe scored zero. Scores were given on the basis of cleanliness and maintainence of toilets, amenities and other aspects. Sudhamanagar and Dharmarayaswamya temple wards has 28 and 22 toilet complexes. Out of 28 public toilet complexes, 24 scored zero. Similarly, in Dharmarayaswamy temple ward, 10 out of 23 toilet complexes scored zero.
Mayor Sampath Raj said this is an alarming figure which needs to be sorted out. He plans to call a meeting with officials and make sure toilets are constructed at wards that do not have even a single public toilet. The BBMP executive engineers will be held responsible if the existing toilets are not functional. When asked if there is space constraint, he said when we can have places for eating out (Indira Canteens), why can’t we have places for letting it out. We will make sure toilets are constructed,’’ he said.
He also said he will call a meeting with various civic agencies and stakeholders if they allow to construct public toilets on their premises if there is space.In May this year, the then Urban Development Minister Venkiah Naidu had stated that Bengaluru will be open defecation-free by August.