Hyderabad: Where Is My Loo?

Hyderabad: public toilets in the city are either dysfunctional or locked,As most of the public toilets in the city are either dysfunctional or locked, commuters and street vendors are facing problems in finding a public toilet that is in a working condition.

Vexed people are slamming the civic body as most of the public toilets lie useless without any proper maintenance and a few of them don't even have proper water supply and sewerage connection. The GHMC which has handed over the maintenance of public toilets to private agencies fails to inspect their status, with the result that the toilets are wallowing in utter neglect, causing hardships to the public.

The GHMC has set up around 7,500 public toilets at 3,500 locations in the city, but most of the public washrooms are dysfunctional and lack proper facilities in such areas as Yousufguda, Borabanda, Vengalrao Nagar, Fathenagar and Old City.

Though the higher officials of GHMC time and again warn the private agencies and their staff to maintain hygienic conditions at the toilets, the latter take it lightly as the lower rung of officials look the other way.

For an instance, the public toilet at Alwal opposite to the Speedys Bakery has not been functioning for a long time since it lacks water and sewage connections. This is leading to the menace of open urination on the premises and creating problems for people, says A Dinesh, a resident of Alwal. J Karteek, a resident of Kukatpally, bemoans that most of the toilets in the city are either dysfunctional or locked as the authorities aren't showing any interest in their proper functioning. This is causing severe inconvenience to the locals, the commuters and the street vendors. The GHMC must take cognisance of the pathetic situation of loos and set right the state of affairs, he pleaded.