The public pay-and-use toilets lack basic sanitation due to insufficient maintenance money.
Bengaluru: The BBMP Swachh Survekshan Report 2020, said 27 percent of the 450 public-private partnership pay-and-use toilets in Bengaluru are not maintained based on the 31 Swachh Bharat Survekshan criteria defined by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The money they collect from the public is not sufficient for sanitation and maintenance of these toilets.
The lack of basic maintenance like availability of water, soap, clean floors is not attracting much public to use these basic facilities. T. Yuktha, a student, said, “I don’t use these toilets as they are not clean, these are causing health issues also. So, they should be clean and kept safe.”
In 2013, BBMP collaborated with individuals or private organizations for the maintenance of public toilets. The voluntary organization assigned a caretaker for every pay-to-use toilet who collects Rs.5/- for defecation and Rs.10/- to take a bath. BBMP mandated the authority of the private organization to supervise the toilets once a week. But some of the private organizations lack of commitments towards the contract is resulting the improper maintenance.
The pay and use toilets in Rajaji Nagar, Kanakapura road, Ganapathy Nagar, Lalbagh are some of the examples of toilets without basic maintenance. N. Nithin, the caretaker of Rajajinagar pay-to-use toilet said, “Around 100 to 150 people visit the toilet daily. I clean the toilet once daily. The cost to buy soap, disinfectant and other necessities is fulfilled by the public’s payment.”
On the other hand, there are public pay-and-use toilets at Majestic Bus stand that is authorized by BBMP and Vishal International Association. They use their organizational funds to maintain proper facilities in the pay-and-use toilets. The organizing secretary of Vishal International Association, Shatish Kumar Shastry, said, “The owner has to provide the caretakers, materials and monetary help to establish a proper maintenance in the public pay and use toilets.”
