Hyderabad: The GHMC plans to construct 12,000 public toilets in phases, and provide water and electricity and connect them to sewer lines. The corporation will hand over the toilets to non-profit organisations for maintenance. The GHMC had earlier installed about 100 prefabricated bio urinals in the central and west zones. It did not help much due to poor maintenance.
A GHMC official said, “Due to lack of space to construct permanent toilets, the corporation introduced bio urinals. No private firm came forward to maintain them, though tenders were called thrice in one year.”
A survey done by the urban development ministry and Swachh Bharat Mission in the city concluded that the cost of maintenance per toilet was Rs 1,200 per day, which included the salary of the caretaker. GHMC commissioner Dr B. Janardhan Reddy said, “The GHMC will construct 12,000 individual toilets, each of which will cost about Rs 12,000. The GHMC will pay Rs 8,000 and the Centre the remaining Rs 4,000. I have directed the urban development wing of GHMC to look for different workable solutions with regard to toilet maintenance.”
The civic body has come under fire for maintaining its public toilets so poorly that even those who intend to use them are put off by the poor conditions. There are a few public toilets for women. Besides, many of the city male residents think nothing of relieving themselves in the open even in crowded places.
