Hyderabad: When GHMC erected prefabricated toilets in the city, they were meant to be free, but now a charge is being levied for their use since the GHMC does not have the funds to pay for their upkeep and are allowing groups of local people to levy a charge.
Ms Varsha Bhargavi, an activist, said that GHMCs move to build green toilets was lauded by everyone, but now it is causing much distress. “If the GHMC is not able to maintain the toilets then what was the need for so much of publicity about it? Lots of poor people and beggars stay at night shelters under the Begumpet bridge and the free kiosk there was very helpful to them, but if they are charged money, they will end up peeing by the roadside,” she pointed out.
Not all the toilets charge money. It is in the main commercial areas of Begumpet, LB Nagar, Malkajgiri, and Secunderabad that unauthorised people have formed a group and are sitting with a table and chair claiming to offer the service, said Mr Manoj Sadula, an MBA student who was asked to shell out money for the use of one such toilet.
“When I asked the man why he was charging money, he replied that it’s for maintenance. The GHMC should put up the rate on a board if money is to be charged so that the public knows whether it is free or not,” he said. A GHMC officer defended the fee for use of the toilets. “We have informed at zonal levels to maintain cleanliness at these kiosks.
