Prefabricated toilets under lens, MC officials tight-lipped

Ravinder Sood

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Palampur, February 16

Most of the 31 prefabricated fibre sheet toilets constructed by the Palampur Municipal Corporation (MC) in different parts of the city are non-operational even one and a half year after these were installed. So far, the MC has failed to serve even one notice to the contractor for the alleged poor quality of construction and the use of substandard material.

In the past one and a half year, the MC could make only seven of these 31 toilets functional. Most toilets had developed defects even before these could be made functional. The toilets, which are open to the public, are choked and leaking. These toilets emit a foul smell, rendering them unfit for use.

Limited funds for maintenance

To make these toilets functional the MC needs to recruit 30 sweepers, which is not possible as there is a complete ban on new recruitments. The civic body cannot spend Rs 35 lakh annually, if these toilets are given to private agencies like Sulabh, which maintains public toilets in big cities. — Ashish Sharma, Palampur MC Commissioner

Palampur MC Commissioner Ashish Sharma says to make these toilets functional the MC needs to recruit 30 sweepers, which is not possible as there is a complete ban on new recruitments. The civic body has limited resources and it cannot spend Rs 35 lakh annually, if these toilets are given to private agencies like Sulabh, which maintains public toilets in big cities. He states that these toilets were installed before his joining and he cannot comment on their high cost.

The MC hired a private company for the installation toilets in different wards of the city during the previous BJP regime. It had spent over Rs 14 lakh per toilet and paid Rs 3.81 crore to the firm for the installation of 31 toilets. Officials of the Palampur MC are tight-lipped over the high amount spent on these toilets.

A retired Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department while talking to The Tribune said such pre-fabricated toilets cost Rs 5-6 lakh but the MC had approved their cost at Rs 14 lakh, which was beyond understanding.

He said that the installation of prefabricated toilets was not recommended for places like Palampur, which receive high rainfall and face severe cold conditions with snowfall. Besides, the life of such toilets was hardly five to 10 years.