BHUBANESWAR : With open urination and defecation remaining a persistent hurdle in improving the capital’s image as a clean city, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to add more number of toilet complexes to the existing system for public and community members.
BMC officials said steps will be taken to raise awareness among public on use of common toilet complexes at public places and slum areas. A total of 27 new toilet complexes will be constructed at different public places as well as slum areas to check open urination and defecation, they added. While seven of these toilets will come up at north zone, another six will be set up at the south-west zone of the city. Similarly, 14 will be constructed in south-east zone of the city.
Sources said currently, the city has 41 public toilets and 14 community toilets having a total 412 seats in the north zone, 31 public toilets and three community toilets having a total seat of 102 in the south-west zone and 39 public toilets and 35 community toilets with a combined strength of 380 seats in the south-east zone.
However eight of them, two in north zone, one in south-west and five in south-east zone are lying defunct. The public toilets are being managed by a social service organisation engaged by the BMC, while the community toilets are maintained by the ward-level sanitation committees. While lack of proper cleaning has been an issue in many of the toilet complexes, the users’ behaviour sometimes also makes these facilities unfit for use.
BMC additional commissioner Suvendu Kumar Sahu said awareness campaign has already been launched and will be intensified among users to keep the facilities at public places clean after use, while Swachh Sathis will take up similar awareness programmes in slums. The eight public and community toilet facilities lying defunct will also be repaired soon, he said.
BMC sources have identified toilet facilities at Chirgoltola, Sion Sramika Basti, Ishaneswar basti, Harekrushna basti and Haldi padia as model community toilet complexes to sensitise slum dwellers on use of such facilities.