Bangalore, 31st August, 2017: The lack of sanitation facilities is forcing residents of the BBMP quarters in Bhashyam Park to use Pay and Use toilets every day.
Bhashyam Park has three residential quarters that have one toilet between them. This toilet does not have a door and is broken. Since the last five years people living in these quarters are paying Rs.2/- for urinating and Rs.5/- for defecating every time in the Pay and Use facility in the park.
The toilet provided for the quarters has no door, hasn’t been cleaned and is stinking.
Vidya, 21, one of the residents in Bhashyam Park said that they are spending approximately Rs.200 per person every month in the Pay and Use facility.
Raja, 23, an amputee who uses a wheel chair said, “It is really hard for me to go all the way to Pay and Use.” He is unemployed and finds it difficult to spend Rs.150 every month.
Another resident, Harish, 24, says he earns only Rs. 8,000 a month. “I am using Pay and Use only for defecating and for urinating I go to the public garden because I cannot spend Rs.2 several times in a day.”
Rajeshwari, working at Pay and Use toilets said,”People living in Bhashyam Park pay and use the toilets every day.”
The Pay and Use toilets are open between 6 am and 8.30 pm, in rest of the hours residents of the BBMP quarters use the open area.
Dhanalaxmi, who has done the math for the quarters said that each person living in the quarters has spent approximately Rs. 12,000/- in the last five years on Pay and Use toilets.
The BBMP assistant executive engineer, Y M Raju said he was unaware of the problem. The park comes under the Horticulture Department, who he said, ought to have told him. However, he now plans to get the toilet repaired.
Mohammed Ali, Horticulture Superintendent, BBMP, said that they have to look after the maintenance of garden, the BBMP quarters do not come under their purview.
Ramnath, Health Inspector, BBMP, Seshadripuram said that the problem will be resolved within two to three weeks.
