A major project to set up eco-friendly public comfort stations here envisaged by a city-based NGO has hit a roadblock owing to the lack of support from the civic bodies and government departments.
The Better Kochi Response Group (BKRG), a forum actively involved in the city’s infrastructure and other key development initiatives, is ready to set up, operate and maintain comfort stations in at least 10 spots in the city.
Pleas fall on deaf ears
Repeated requests to allot land made before the Kochi Corporation, the Greater Cochin Development Authority and the Kerala Water Authority have fallen on deaf ears. “We had even identified the areas for setting up the public comfort stations.
“The local bodies and the government departments need to just give us the permission. How can we call the city smart, without having adequate public comfort stations,” asked architect S. Gopakumar, head of the BKRG. The NGO had identified spots near the Indoor Stadium at Kadavanthra, P.T. Usha Road, and Kerala Water Authority’s land near the GCDA office at Kadavanthra and another spot close to Shenoy’s Junction for constructing the public toilets in the first phase. “We are successfully supervising a traditional public comfort station near the northern side of the District Collectorate since the last six years. There have been no complaints of any odour or stench emanating from it as the unit is properly maintained. It was set up with the support of the local chapter of Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India,” said Mr. Gopakumar.
The NGO is now ready with the design of container toilets, which could be easily set up in a space for parking a car.
It has also proposed setting up public comfort stations above bus shelters. The identified spots are at Palarivattom and near Maharaja’s College.
