Sulabh International to maintain toilets, Sherorooms of Karnal city

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, November 30

The Sulabh International, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) working in the field of sanitation, will maintain nine public toilets of the city. Besides, the NGO will look after the three Sherorooms-cum-nursing rooms, which are lying non-functional for the past over three-years.

This step is being taken by the Karnal Smart City Ltd (KSCL) under the smart city mission after the city failed even to maintain the previous ranking in the sixth edition of the ‘Swachh Survekshan 2021’ awards. It was at 17th position last year, but now slipped to 86th place.

Out of 135 toilets in the city, which are being maintained by the Karnal Municipal Corporation (KMC), several are in pathetic condition. The KMC spends crores on cleanliness every month, but has failed to improve city’s ranking in ‘Swachh Survekshan 2021’.

Apart from nine toilets, the KMC has also issued a work order to maintain 135 toilets in the city. “We have issued a work order to maintain all public toilets. I have given a deadline of Monday to ensure maintenance to the agency,” said Manoj Kumar, Commissioner, KMC.

As per the agreement, a sum of Rs28,000 has been fixed as maintenance charges of per toilet and Sheroroom. The KSCL will pay 70 per cent of the amount while the remaining 30 per cent will be collected by the Sulabh International from users as user charge.

“After three months, the KSCL will review collection of the user charges. The KSCL will reduce it if the collection of user charges exceed from the proposed 30 per cent,” said an official associated with this project.

“The authorities are hopeful that the Sulabh International will take over these toilets and Sherorooms from Monday,” he added.

“Sulabh will maintain four toilets located on the railway road, one each under flyover of Sector 6, at Namaste Chowk, near Ranbir Hooda Chowk, Mughal Canal and near old bus stand,” he said.

The KMC has established three Sherorooms in the city, including one each on Railway Road, at ITI Chowk and Nehru Place for providing separate facilities to women, especially lactating mothers, to feed their children. There is a waiting room, napkin disposers and sockets for charging mobile phones free of cost under one roof.