A stinking old problem

December 29, 2013 10:56 pm | Updated November 16, 2021 11:44 pm IST - HYDERABAD:

Though GHMC started the 'pay and use' toilets across the city, it has not removed the old ones, some of which are on the main roads. Photo: G. Ramakrishna

Though GHMC started the 'pay and use' toilets across the city, it has not removed the old ones, some of which are on the main roads. Photo: G. Ramakrishna

Every morning, when P. Ashish walks down to work at Pot Market in Secunderabad, he is forced to hold his breath while crossing an old public urinal which is never cleaned, and is used everyday by many people in spite of the unhygienic situation their action creates.

A labourer at an eatery right in front of the toilet, he has to face the unbearable stench throughout the day at work.

“The toilet is never cleaned and people still use it even though there are some Sulabh complexes around which are maintained by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. These old ones must go or at least be cleaned regularly,” he lamented.

This is not an isolated case, as some of such old facilities built by the municipal corporation are now nothing but points which emanate an unbearable stench resulting in agony for pedestrians who walk by them.

“The one opposite the James Street railway station near Ranigunj is also in pathetic shape and it must be demolished, or people will continue to use it instead of the new ‘pay and use’ ones,” said Azmath Sheikh, who runs a cloth store near Palika Bazar in Secunderabad.

He added that at least three more such public urinals situated in and around Monda Market have been causing problem of hygiene for years, but nothing has been done to address it.

Though the GHMC started the ‘pay and use’ toilets or Sulabh complexes across the city for public convenience, it has not removed all the old urinals situated at various places, some of which are on main roads.

As of now, there are 105 ‘pay and use’ toilets in the city.

When contacted, L. Vandan Kumar, Additional Commissioner, Health and Sanitation, GHMC said that the corporation will demolish the old urinals soon, after locating all of them.

“There are about 50 such old facilities in the city. We will identify and then raze them down,” he mentioned.

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