Public conveniences turn into inconvenience for city residents

With a large number of floating population, including tourists, visiting the holy city, there is an acute need to provide adequate public toilets on roads frequented by them. The public toilet facility appears to be the least priority for city planners as several toilets are in a shabby state and the facility does not exist in several markets.

Surinder Singh, a hotelier inside the walled city, urged the government to carry out timely maintenance of public toilets. After some years, replacing the urinal pots and tiles underneath these becomes necessary, he said and added that daily utilisation causes a permanent stench in the toilets which can be removed only by replacing the old toiletry.

The wholesale markets like Shastri Market, Cash Dhara Bazaar, Guru Bazaar, Katra Jai Mal Singh, Dhab Wasti Ram, Atta Mandi, Swank Mandi, Misra Bazaar and others in the walled city do not have adequate public toilets. And whatever facility is there, proves to be inadequate as the public toilets are not in a usable condition in the absence of proper sanitation. Foul smell emanates from these and the toilets appear not to have been cleaned for long. Since the footfall is high, people are forced to ease themselves in the open.

Even the upscale markets on the Mall road, Lawrence road and at Ranjit Avenue do not have public toilets. The shopping complexes on these roads have toilets inside their complexes. The three major shopping complexes — Nehru Shopping Complex, District Complex, Ranjit Avenue and Dharam Singh Market — near the Golden Temple do not have proper facilities. Many toilets in such commercial complexes are locked due to lack of maintenance. Those that function are in a deplorable state.

Gurjit Singh, a resident, said in the absence of toilets in most markets and other public places in the city, many people can be spotted urinating in the open against the walls of houses, shops and institutes without any hesitation.

Though toilets do exist at some places, many of these are too dirty and unhygienic to be used. The foul smell emanating from these toilets is unbearable, he said.

According to the health officials of Municipal Corporation, they have a total of 46 public and community toilets in the city. The MC has set up 41 public toilets to cover all the busy areas and markets of the city. Apart from this, five community toilets were established where people do not have toilets at homes, especially in slums.