Public toilets opened after 12 years in Shravanabelagola

Three public toilets that were constructed during the previous Bahubali Mahamastakabhisheka are being opened for use to the people after 12 years!

The local gram panchayat had closed the toilets after the festival in 2006, citing its inability to maintain them due to a shortage of manpower. As there are no public toilets in the town, hundreds of visitors to the Jain shrine have to go to hotels and lodges to attend nature's call.

Public toilets have been constructed on the premises of Vindyagiri and Chandragiri and near Adikavi Pampa Library. The pay and use toilet at Vindhyagiri is open from 6 am to 6 pm, but, there is a water problem. The other toilets have been closed since 12 years, due to the maintenance problem.

With less than a month for the Bahubali Mahamastakabhisheka, the district administration is taking steps to open the toilets for use, but, they will again be closed, after the festival, complain the locals.

A dolls vendor, near the bus stand, said that most of the people ask for toilets as soon as they alight from the bus, and we direct them to nearby hotels and lodges.

"Hundreds of students come here for educational tours regularly. They use the open ground for relieving themselves. Repeated pleas to the gram panchayat have not yielded any results," he said.

Prajwal, a hotel owner, said, "The district administration makes arrangements for toilets only during the Mahamastakabhisheka and ignores it later. A permanent solution should be found for the benefit of the public."

When contacted, Panchayat Development Officer Naveen Kumar said, "As it was not possible to maintain the public toilets due to a shortage of staff, they were closed. However, it has been brought to the notice of the authorities concerned."

Speaking to DH, Mahotsava Special Officer B N Varaprasad Reddy said, "Places with high floating population have been identified and temporary toilets would be set up at intervals of 200 mts." The closure of public toilets would definitely cause inconvenience to the people visiting the town. So, a discussion will be held with the Channarayapatna Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer and the problem would be sorted out in a week, he said.