Rajahmundry: The outside of Rajahmundry railway station is being used as a urinal by residents and passengers as there is no facility for urination. The place stinks because of this. People are regularly seen urinating openly in the vicinity resulting in the entire area releasing bad smell. Railway authorities maintain that they have a number of public toilets beside paid toilet facilities for passengers to use. They say that they also have announced imposing fine of Rs 500 on those who resort to spitting, urination and spoiling the inside premises of the railway station in order to maintain it neat and clean.
They said that they were not concerned with what happens outside the railway station premises as it is the responsibility of the civic authorities to take care of such problem.
Local residents blame the civic authorities for failing to set up a facility to help the passengers relieve themselves who defile the entire premises health hazard and pungent smell. Though the civic authorities have set up public urinals at several places in the city, they have not taken any initiative to set up such facility outside the railway station. Residents say for entring the platform, they have to spend Rs 10 on railway platform ticket and Rs two to Rs five to use the paid toilet. So they prefer the open place to relieve themselves.
Meanwhile, the civic authorities have written to the railway authorities mentioning the complaints from the general public about stinking smell coming at the railway station due to public urination. The local railway authorities have communicated the same to the senior authorities. Rajahmundry railway station master D.P.V.S Prabhakar Rao said, "Our job is to ensure cleanliness within railway station premises and we have provided all requisite amenities including toilets for the benefit of our passengers. We are not concerned with outside premises as the civic authorities are supposed to take care of such issues."
Municipal health officer Dr M.V.R Murthy said, "There is no drainage connectivity and open place for setting up public urinals near railway station premises. We have to work out some alternative with the support from railways to solve this chronic problem.” Civic authorities have been saying that there is no drainage connectivity provided at the railway station because of which the people are resorting to public urination causing trouble to the local residents. Residents of the locality have been finding fault with both the civic and the railway authorities as they are resorting to blaming each other on the issue at a time when the whole nation and the state is going for Swachh India and Swachh AP and making a mockery of such holistic mission to maintain cleanliness.
