State proposes 380 public toilet blocks; High Court asks legal authority to monitor exercise

Bengaluru: With the projected urban population in the state, excluding the BBMP area, to be 2,01,27,666 by 2026, the state government has proposed to take up the construction of over 300 public privies.  

The proposal suggests 384 public toilet blocks with 3,081 seats, and 635 urinal blocks with 2,726 urinals.

The state government, through an affidavit in a PIL, has informed the Karnataka High Court about the action plan.

The PIL was filed by Letzkit Foundation, a Bengaluru-based NGO, in 2020.

In the affidavit, Ajay Nagabhushan MN, secretary of the Urban Development Department (UDD), has said that based on the floating population of 5% of the projected population, the state has proposed to provide one closet/seat for 250 people.

The state government has also proposed to construct a number of Aspirational Public Toilets (e-toilets) with 1,223 seats in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), where there are tourist destinations/iconic cities, and religious destinations, which record higher footfall.

The affidavit stated that the action plan has been approved at the state-level technical committee for the Swachh Bharat Mission meeting as well as in the national advisory and review committee meeting. According to the affidavit, the action plan also includes 600 toilets for the BBMP jurisdiction.

Nominal user fee

The affidavit stated that the person using the toilet will be charged a nominal user fee, which will be utilised towards maintenance of the toilets.

“Apart from this infrastructure development, Urban Local Bodies are promoting and creating awareness about personal hygiene, with the use of these public toilets,” the affidavit stated.

Considering the affidavit, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit recalled the October 4, 2023, order imposing a cost of Rs 5 lakh upon the state government over its continued failure to submit a response. 

Adjourning the hearing by eight weeks, the bench has also directed the state to involve the secretary of the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA), Bengaluru, and the secretary of the District Legal Services Authority in the districts to help monitor exercise.

The role of the legal services authorities would be as a facilitator representing the court for an independent assessment and supervision of the work proposed by the state government, the bench said.

What's the difference?

Toilets and toilet blocks are not the same. A toilet is a standalone cubicle of a seat or urinal. A toilet block is a structure comprising three or more toilet seats/urinals. It is one long block-like structure with three or more cubicles or boxes (one can see a sophisticated version of that in cinema theatres and malls).