The New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) has proposed to the local administration that it will construct and maintain toilet blocks of international standards at six tourism places in the region.
The NMPT has identified Karkala (near Gomata Hills, Udupi district), and Moodbidri (near the Thousand Pillar Basadi), Kadri, Kudroli, Pilikula, and Panambur Beach, all in Dakshina Kannada, to build these state-of-the-art toilets at an estimated cost of ₹25 lakh each, said NMPT chairman M.T. Krishna Babu.
He said with the increase of cruise vessels calling on the port every year, the number of international tourists visiting places of tourism importance in and around Mangaluru has also improved. The main grievance of tourists, according to their feedback, is the absence of well-maintained restrooms near places of tourism importance. Hence the port administration decided to build and maintain toilet blocks under its Corporate Social Responsibility scheme, Mr. Babu said.
This facility, Mr. Babu said, would go a long way in attracting not just international tourists, but also domestic tourists to the region in a big way. He hoped that the local administration would extend necessary support to the port’s initiative.
No user fee
The facility would be offered for free as the port itself would engage an agency and pay it for maintenance, said NMPT chief engineer (in-charge, Civil) A.V. Harinath. If a user fee is levied, there could be allegations of excess charging, he noted.
Mr. Harinath told The Hindu that the local administration would have to offer land, water, and electricity for free for the proposed toilet blocks on the lines of its own utilities. The port, by proposing to build hte toilet blocks, is supplementing the local administration’s work, he said.
Meanwhile, the port has also proposed to the district administration and Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) to provide any-time water vending (ATWV) machines in at least 20 locations across the city that see heavy footfall.
Mr. Babu said the NMPT would install water kiosks operated through swipe cards and vend water for ₹1 a litre. A centralised purification plant with laboratory facility would supply water to these kiosks every day. While an operator would be available during day time, people have to use pre-loaded swipe cards during night to get water.
