VIJAYAWADA: Public urination continues across Vijayawada despite the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) introducing public toilets, forming mobile squads and installing mirrors at identified spots to deter the practice, with inconsistent enforcement raising questions over the implementation of these measures.
The VMC has 72 existing public and community toilets with 767 seats and 144 urinals, while another 21 facilities have been sanctioned. For a city with a population of over 13 lakh, the network caters to a large resident & floating population.
Swachh Bharat Mission guidelines prescribe toilet norms based on expected users and require coverage of prominent locations that attract floating populations. Under the ODF+ protocol, public and community toilets must be functional and well maintained, while open urination and defecation are not permitted.
Vijayawada was re-certified as ODF++ in 2020-21, as per corporation records. ODF++ builds on ODF+ by adding requirements for safe containment, transportation and treatment of faecal sludge and sewage.
The VMC has also tried behavioural interventions to address the problem. In June, it installed around 25 mirrors at four locations, including Benz Circle and Vijayawada Government General Hospital, where open urination was frequently reported. The initiative, part of ‘Operation Clean Sweep’, aimed to discourage the practice through behavioural change.
However, the problem persists, while some facilities meant to provide an alternative are themselves facing gaps. The corporation’s toilet details show Kalavakatta and Ramalingeswara Nagar among closed facilities. At Baig Street in Poornandham Peta, one commode is blocked and a caretaker is required, while other facilities have issues such as damaged doors, light & caretaker-related problems.
Mobile squads were formed to check violations and impose fines, but a senior VMC health department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the drive “has not been carried out with any consistency” and that the fines collected so far were negligible.
The persistence of public urination despite toilets, behavioural interventions and enforcement squads highlights a gap between measures introduced by civic body and their implementation on ground.
With more toilets planned, adding facilities alone may not address it unless existing toilets remain usable and enforcement is carried out regularly to deter public urination.
