Using toilet at city restaurants gives Anantha Lakshmi, a final-year law student, the worst nightmare. She abhors it and avoids using them as far as possible, thanks to the unhygienic and pitiable state of toilets at most restaurants.
“Things might be different in premium and star restaurants that keep their toilets clean. But that’s not the situation in restaurants frequented by commoners,” she said.
“Toilets are often cramped for space and have nauseating smell. Women are the worst hit as there will not be even a waste bin for the proper disposal of sanitary pads. The government should take measures such as frequent surprise inspections to change the situation,” she said.
Karthika Anoop Radhakrishnan, a public relations professional, said women also faced safety issues at restaurants with cases of hidden cameras inside restaurant bathrooms getting frequently reported.
“There is no point in creating a swanky interior while neglecting basic facilities. Forget about toilets, even the washbasin area is so bad at some restaurants. We even start avoiding restaurants with such deplorable conditions,” she said.
E.M. Mujeeb, a government servant, said hygiene was the biggest casualty in toilets at restaurants. “Leaky water taps, foul smell and overflowing waste bins are the common features of toilets.
“The care given in the quality of food and hygiene of the dining area is not seen in the proper upkeep of toilets,” he said.
E.M. Mani, district president of Kerala Hotel and Restaurants Association, said the matter would be discussed at the meeting of the association slated for September 28.
Minimol, chairperson of health standing committee, Kochi Corporation, said frequent inspections at eateries was not practical because of several reasons, including staff shortage.