BENGALURU: Bengaluru needs at least 236 more public toilets, as per a recent survey conducted by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Janaagraha.Citizens have also demanded that existing ones be open 24x7 and be well maintained. These were some of the many inputs, which were obtained during a month-long campaign, which started on December 8.
BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad on Monday said 100-200 more public toilets can be set up. “There is no dearth of funds. Citizens only want two things – good roads and footpaths and proper public facilities like public toilets. We are prioritising places in bus stands where public toilets can be set up. We are also coming up with a contractors maintenance policy for public toilets," he said.
D Randeep, BBMP Special Commissioner, Solid waste management, is in talks with petrol bunk owners and petroleum firms to set up public toilets in fuel stations which can be accessed not only by customers but all citizens.Members from Indian Medical Association had also conducted a webinar explaining to people the health hazards of public urination during the campaign period.
According to the survey of Yellow Spots Beda and My City My Budget, 3,143 of those surveyed were against public urination, 1,892 against dumping garbage and debris on footpath, 1,549 against broken footpaths, 1,340 people demanded new footpaths, 916 pointed to dirty public toilets and 591 demanded new public toilets.
Most of those who demanded better public toilets and new ones were from the outer zones and wards from Bengaluru. Of these, most of the responses were from Bellandur, followed by Hemmigepura, Bilekahalli, Benniganahalli, Uttarahalli, Vasanthapura, Vijayanagar, HSR Layout, Kadu Malleswara and Vasanth Nagar.