e-toilets in Bengaluru: Plush to start with, but flushed out too soon

These high-tech toilets were set up across Bengaluru as a part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014, but few are functional today.

Set up with much fanfare at a cost of Rs 5.56 lakh for each toilet, a majority of the city’s 169 gizmo-style toilets lie in ruins today.

These high-tech toilets were set up across Bengaluru as a part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014, but few are functional today.

A total of 169 e-toilets, equipped with auto flush and such other gizmo-like features, were commissioned between 2014 and 2017. DH did a reality check of a few toilets across the city and found most of them barely working.

A majority of toilets have no power and water supply. Some are even being used as storerooms.

Vismaya Vinay

Located on Hampi Nagar main road, the two e-toilets here are shut.

“Many people used them, but there were instances when people got locked inside. The officials concerned delayed responding to public complaints,” said Shiva Kumar, income tax officer and resident of Hampi Nagar.

Some e-toilets were in the vicinity of conventional toilets, and were removed as they were redundant.

“There are three or four Nirmala toilets across the road. There was no need for the government to set up e-toilets here,” said Raju, a vendor at the Vijayanagar market.

BTM 2nd Stage, 7th Main

The app MapmyIndia helps locate e-toilets in the city. It directs you to 7th Main, ward 176. But once you get there, an empty space greets you.

Installed in 2018, the two toilets here were maintained well initially. They were the only public toilets in the vicinity, and came in useful to those visiting the shops here. Shopkeepers said there was no proper maintenance in the days that followed and the toilets were eventually taken away.

“There were two e-toilets next to each other. They had no power connection and no water supply,” recalls a student who had seen them after they went out of use.

Jayanagar 2nd Block

The toilet is in ruins, with its power cables ripped off. The DH reporter who visited the spot was told by the gardener of a BBMP park in the vicinity that the annual maintenance contract had not been renewed.

People stopped using this toilet because of its poor upkeep. “I cleaned it manually every day, but I stopped when BBMP officials stopped giving me the Rs 500 they had promised,” said the gardener.

Vani Vilas Road, Basavanagudi

The e-toilet at the end of Vani Vilas Road was used regularly. But it was shut down two years ago.

“About 50 of us signed a letter and handed it to the BBMP office behind the toilet, asking for it to be repaired, but nothing happened,” said a shopkeeper in the area.