Only 218 public toilets exist among 26 lakh people

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The capital city, with a population of about 26 lakh residents, is suffering from an acute shortage of public sanitation facilities. The city had only 218 public toilets, community toilets and urinals, which were far short of the city's requirements.

According to the sanitation department of Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), of the existing facilities, the city has only 13 urinals, 62 community toilets and 143 public toilets. Residents and commuters alike have expressed an urgent need for improvements, with municipal officials estimating the need for an additional 150 urinals and 140 public toilets, a total of 290 new facilities.

This figure is far below the city's needs, leaving residents and visitors to struggle, especially in crowded areas. As per urban sanitation norms, there should be one public toilet for every 5 thousand people. According to this calculation, Bhopal needs an additional 290 public toilets and urinals to meet the demand.

The lack of adequate facilities has caused inconvenience, especially in highly congested areas like MP Nagar, New Market and 10 No Market. BMC Chairman Kishan Suryavanshi told Free Press that the state government had allocated Rs 23 crore to the BMC about four months ago to address the issue.

Funds have been earmarked for the construction of 290 new public toilets in the city. He further said that work on this project has already started, tenders have been issued for the construction of deluxe public toilets. He said that due to the increasing population density in the city, it is not easy to find space to build new public toilets, but as per the requirements, BMC uses its mobile toilets.

The initiative aims to reduce the sanitation challenges faced by the city. However, the delay in meeting sanitation targets highlights the urgent need for prompt action to ensure public convenience and maintain urban sanitation standards.