'Public toilets to be built on priority basis'

In the wake of complaints from citizens about lack of public toilets in the City, Mayor B N Manjunatha Reddy on Thursday announced that construction of toilets across Bengaluru would be taken up on a priority basis.

Speaking at an interaction on ‘Direction Development for Bengaluru,’ organised by Abhivruddhi Vedike, the mayor said he was aware of the lack of sufficient toilets in the City. He assured citizens that the issue would be discussed in the upcoming BBMP council meeting.

He made the announcement when advisor to Abhivruddhi Vedike, Prof Radhakrishna, recommended that a 1,000 toilets should be constructed in each Assembly constituency. “Citizens and volunteers are ready to pitch in. However, the State government has to provide land for constructing toilets. Women, especially, face problems because of lack of sufficient toilets. Also, pay-and-use toilets need to be more organised,” Radhakrishna said.

The interaction saw citizens discuss a range of civic issues with the elected representatives and give their suggestions to the officials present. “Tree planting has stopped since a year due to lack of co-ordination between the BBMP and the Forest department. Moreover, when trees are chopped by the Palike for road-widening projects, no new saplings are planted. Tree planting must be done on a regular basis,” said Kumar K H, a resident of Rama Mandir ward and founder secretary of Rangothri Society.
Other suggestions made by the citizens included ban on plastic and making rainwater harvesting compulsory at all homes within the Palike limits.

The Vedike members said the objective of the interaction was to involve all the councillors, MLAs and MPs in the programme beginning with their constituencies.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, Deputy Mayor Hemalatha S P and the newly elected members from Rajajinagar and Mahalakshmipuram constituencies participated in the interaction.