Lack of toilets telling in Chikkaballapur

Natures call answered anywhere, everywhere in the city

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The City Municipal Council has taken efforts to ensure proper construction of footpaths for the benefit of pedestrians. Buildings constructed illegally in the city are being brought down.

Yet, several important streets in Chikkaballapur city, like B B Road, have no public toilets. The toilets already built lack the necessary facilities.

Nowhere to go

While travelling down B B Road, people who require to answer nature’s call find no toilet anywhere on the Road. They have to go till the Old Bus Stand, which has a public toilet. Also, shops line B B Road on both sides. An easier- and much preferred option- is the walls on the sides of the Road, the maidan or any other open space nearby.

There is a urinal on B B Road, in front of Manasa Hospital, but it is in a severely inebriated condition.

It is three years already since Chikkaballapur was given district status and the city became the district headquarters. Cleanliness and hygiene, however, have taken backseat in the development agenda for the district.

Usage of roadsides as toilets pollutes the space and increases hazards to health.

Best example

The place behind the Nandi Rangamandira in Chikkaballapur city stands as the best example for this.

Shopkeepers, senior citizens, public, students use the garbage dump on the open space behind the auditorium as a urinal.

The staff of the Kannada Sahitya Parishad, which stands adjacent to the Nandi Rangamandira have frequently requested people not to dirty the place, but to no avail.

“Neither the Government nor private organisations have given any thought to the construction of public toilets on important roads in the city.

Therefore, people use the Junior College Maidan, the open space behind the Nandi Rangamandira, the garbage dump and similar such places as open urinals.

Stepping near the Manasa Hospital is a scary idea since the urinal is in a very bad condition. There is constant fear of being infected with disease if you go near the place.

Women and children are often forced to pass by it, but the authorities have not bothered to build even a wall around it,” said Shivashankar, employee at a private hospital, speaking to Deccan Herald.

Inconsiderate

Anasuyamma, a home-maker, added that toilets are mostly built keeping men in view. “Women are not thought about when public toilets are constructed. What should we do? We cannot just use any place by the road, but have to wait till we reach home. It is a very problematic situation, but nobody understands,” she complained.

In big cities, certain private organisations take the initiative to construct public toilets. The citizens can use them paying one or two rupees at the entrance. But Chikkaballapur city has no such provision.

Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and District In-charge Minister Shobha Karandlaje have promised to implement projects worth crores of rupees in the district.

But before thinking about such a huge amount of money, let the Government  build basic amenities like a public toilet, spending much lesser, advised the residents of Chikkaballapur.