Amid swachh bharat hullabaloo, UT’s raises stink with its public toilets

Toilets at the Leisure Valley in Sector 10 and the Bougainvillea Garden in Sector 3 are no better.

A locked toilet opposite the ISBT-17 in Sector 22. (Source: express photo by Sahil Walia)

Despite the Prime Minister’s pitch for a ‘Swachh Bharat’, public toilets across Chandigarh continue to be in a sorry state of affairs, with residents being forced to bear the brunt of official apathy. Several toilets in market areas and green belts have been locked as the contracts to maintain them have expired while a large number of toilet blocks in market areas are in a pitiable condition. Amid this, 16 toilets constructed in green belts two years ago are yet to be made operational.

In Rose Garden, for instance, two of the four toilets have been lying locked for months, while the other two are unhygienic with clogged urinals and leaky taps. In fact, one of the locked toilets built at a lower level is flooded from the outside with urine and filth. “It is a major tourist attraction but visitors and morning walkers suffer when they come here. Women and senior citizens are the worst affected,” said Priyanka Sharma, a regular visitor.

Toilets at the Leisure Valley in Sector 10 and the Bougainvillea Garden in Sector 3 are no better. A similar situation exists in the public toilet located in Sector 23 near the Sector 22-23 light-point. Its window panes are broken and the locked door reads ‘paani khatam’ (no water).

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“I do not understand why the public are harassed like this. So many people come here but find the toilet locked. Does it take a year to repair a toilet?” asked Mahinder Singh, who works nearby.

Public health executive engineer Suresh Pal Saini, however, feigned ignorance. “I have joined recently, and as per my knowledge only two toilet blocks in Sector 29 and Sector 19 are locked. The ones in green belts are running efficiently. However, it is possible that some of the contracts for maintenance of the toilets have not been renewed,” he said.

According to Congress councillor Subhash Chawla, he mooted a proposal for the construction of 18 toilet blocks in green belts across the city during his mayoral tenure in 2013. “The company which built a ten-storey building in Mohali in 48 hours was given the contract and it constructed the toilets at the cost of Rs 1.10 crore, but the MC has failed to make these operational ever since, defeating their very purpose,” said Chawla. He added that due to the prolonged delay, anti-social elements in several sectors have damaged the newly built blocks.

According to officials, 16 of the toilets were constructed while the site for the remaining two was not finalised. “We have invited tender applications for the operation and maintenance of the toilets, and the toilets will become fully functional soon,” engineer Saini said.

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Meanwhile, of the 86 toilet blocks in market places which were vacated by Selvel Media Services Private Limited last year, two are still lying locked while the others have been handed over to market associations. Only four-five of the associations are registered with the government, due to which they are forced to maintain the toilets through their own resources.

For the registered associations, the MC pays Rs 12,500 per month as maintenance charges. “All the associations have applied for registration and it will take around a months’ time, following which we will hopefully start getting payment from the MC. Right now, the toilets are not being adequately maintained as they are being run by the associations on their own,” said Charanjiv Singh, President of Chandigarh Beopar Mandal.

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