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Punekars protest lack of public toilets, approach State Human Rights Commission
The complainant, Krunnal Gharre, a resident of Bavdhan on behalf of the citizen’s group complaint to the human rights commission on July 19
Residents claim the civic body which runs the Smart City has failed to provide adequate public toilets violating fundamental rights.
Agitated over the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) lackadaisical attitude towards providing basic sanitation facilities, residents and social activists have approached the State Human Rights Commission.
The complainant, Krunnal Gharre, a resident of Bavdhan on behalf of the citizen’s group complaint to the human rights commission on July 19.
Most of the e-toilets in the city, despite repeated follow-ups and reminders are defunct leading to inconvenience of thousands of citizens.
The ambitious e-toilet project was undertaken by PMC and launched by former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Anil Shirole in 2018, under the MP local area development fund at ₹2 crore.
As many as 23 e-toilets were installed at 11 different locations in the city. However, out of these 23 e-toilets, two e-toilets (FC Road and Hirwai Garden) are currently functional.
Gharre, said, “The municipal authorities should acknowledge the severity of the situation and take immediate action. Access to clean and functional public toilets is not a luxury, but a basic necessity that directly impacts public health, hygiene, and human dignity.”
Aarti Karanjawane, another resident, said, “This grim situation has particularly impacted women, children, and senior citizens who often anticipate relief, only to be confronted with locked toilets. This appalling act not only infringes on dignity but also constitutes a gross violation of basic human rights. The failure to maintain and keep these facilities operational is a matter of great public concern.”
Another citizen, Jyoti Takawale, said, “Women, who bear the burden of gender-specific sanitation needs, often find themselves in precarious situations. The numbers of toilets in the city are already less in comparison to the rising population. Likewise, young children and elderly citizens, who require immediate and unobstructed access to sanitation facilities, are unjustly denied their fundamental rights.
Asha Raut, head of solid waste department (SWD), PMC, said, currently two e-toilets are functional and the remaining is closed.
“We have appointed a private agency to run the e-toilets. This firm will run five e-toilets initially and based on their performance assessment we will let them operate the remaining toilets. We have made all arrangements to make these e-toilets functional and tenders have been already called for the same,” she said.
Raut further said that e-toilets have been a target of thefts recently and the doors of two toilets were stolen, forcing us to keep them closed.
“If the response to the e-toilets is good we will make all these toilets functional. We have also decided to make the option to insert coins for using the e-toilets voluntary,” she said.
