Hyderabad: 70% Public Toilets Defunct

Hyderabad: Thousands of public toilets set up across the city by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the past few years are now useless due to zero maintenance.

According to official data, around 7,500 public toilets were there by the end of 2018 but now only 2,250 remain. In other words, about 70% toilets have become defunct in the past five years.

Several initiatives to set up financially self-sustainable toilets under build, operate and transfer (BOT) model have failed due to various reasons such as limited revenue, lack of utilization, water supply and damages that require repairs. While Sulabh complexes established across the city and maintained by GHMC sanitation workers are still functional, most e-toilets, SHE toilets, Loo Cafes, and other prefabricated toilets are now defunct.

The public toilets set up near Charminar, Golconda, Tolichowki, Film Nagar, Shaikpet and Yusufguda have been lying defunct since the Covid Pandemic stuck. In some places such as near Begumpet Railway Station. Dhoodh Bowli and Salar Jung, the toilets are beyond repair as doors, pipes and tapes are broken.

While the GHMC recently called for an expression of interest (EOI) to maintain the existing toilets, the tender hasn’t been finalized due to a lack of interest from private entities.

“A committee has been set up by the GHMC to fix the cost of maintenance for the existing toilets ,” said Pradeep Kumar, a private sanitation contractor. “Previously, the amount was 8,000 per month and now it has been cut short by 50%, which is insufficient.”

Activists said that the GHMC must crack down on those using the BOT model to fill their pockets but then fail to maintain the toilets.

“People are willing to pay and use these toilets but they are not maintained well. This shows that the money earned isn’t really going towards maintenance. The GHMC offers space for many agencies to build these toilets but there hasn’t been any regular checks regarding maintenance of these toilets,” Raj Kumar Singh, a civic activist told media.

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