Focusing to make city free of open defecation, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has decided to build more than 600 public toilets across the city before Gandhi Jayanthi.

The Centre has granted Rs 5 crore under the Swachh Bharat Mission programme to construct community toilets, E-toilets and public toilets in all eight zones. According to the guideline set by mission, there should be a community toilet in every 500 metres.

A BBMP officer said: “The BBMP has identified the places to build the toilets. We have received around Rs 5 crore from the Centre and the BBMP will sanction remaining funds.”

“The work will begin soon after the tender process is completed. We have set October 2 as the deadline to complete the work,” he added.

Till date, the civic body has constructed only 479 toilets across the city. According to the norms laid by the Swachh Bharat Mission, the civic body has to build at least two toilets for the population of 100 male and 100 female and one toilet in seven-kilometre radius.

In 2018, Swachh Survekshan ranking, Bengaluru had got 216 ranking which had not only slid further down the Swachh Bharat Survekshan rankings but also fared poorly compared to most other Metros in the country.

Another BBMP official said, “As we have to improve our rating in the Swachh Bharat Survekshan rankings, we are building toilets to end open urination in the city.”