BERHAMPUR: Awarded ODF ++ in the Swachh Survekshan 2020, Berhampur city surprisingly does not have the required number of toilets forcing residents to defecate in open places such as drains.
The Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) had constructed many toilets by spending a huge amount of money but due to lack of proper maintenance, most of these have became defunct after inauguration.
A glaring example is the Souchalaya (toilet) of BeMC at Ganesh Nagar under Ward no 9 which is lying locked since the last couple of years.
Such is the condition in the city that no toilets can be found at the bus stand and railway station. Purushottam Jagannath Chetana Foundation, a local outfit, alleged that as many as 16 toilets were set up in various densely populated areas of the city in the last two years. But none of them are operational due to lack of maintenance.
One of the major business centres in the city is Bada Bazaar which has only two toilets. Thousands of people come to the marketplace every day for business purposes.
Due to the lack of adequate toilets, they urinate in the open and nearby drains. People urinating in the open is also common at the bus stop in front of the city hospital and near Hatibandha Sahi intersection.
Similarly, the BeMC spends a good amount of money on renovation of ponds every year. But most of these water bodies are unfit for use. The Haridakhandi pond, which caters to over 30,000 people, is filled with waste and weeds.
Contacted, BeMC Commissioner Dr Siddeshwar Baliram Bondar said a plan has been prepared to construct modern urinals at several places. BeMC engineer Jitendra Patnaik said each urinal will be constructed at a cost of Rs 2.76 lakh.
There will be four urinals for men and two for women. Three steel tankers will be pressed into service to supply uninterrupted water to the toilets.
“One such toilet is under construction near Berhampur stadium and will be completed by the end of this month. We will assess its usability before constructing such urinals at other places,” Patnaik added.