Sufficient public toilets are required in Guwahati

Due to lack of public toilets in Guwahati, roadside urination is a common sight in the city, especially in busy localities in the city heart. Due to urition, public areas become very filthy and pedestrians are uble even to use footpaths properly because of this nuisance. Local civic authorities like GMC and GMDA seems to be scarcely worried about this situation. Guwahati being the Gateway to the entire North-eastern region, such scenes of roadside urition will certainly carry a negative message in the minds of tourist visiting the city. Lack of public toilets has become a cause of concern for the citizens of Guwahati. It may be recalled that during the month of December, 2011, the then Commissioner of GMC Puru Gupta assured that GMC is planning construction of public toilets in 35 places of Guwahati city and that the GMC had entrusted IIT Guwahati to design such public toilets --- as reported in the media. But unfortutely we have not seen construction of public toilets except in two or three places even after 4 years have elapsed. Further, two women jourlists of the city lodged a PIL in the Gauhati High Court during August, 2013 regarding insufficient public toilets in Guwahati city, especially for ladies. The Gauhati High Court issued notices to the concerned departments as well as to GMC and GMDA. However, the fate of the PIL and subsequent order of the Gauhati High Court in this regard is not known to us. Again in 2014, the GMC announced construction of modern public toilets in 20 places of Guwahati city including Fancybazar, Paltanbazar, Fatasil Ambari and also assured completion of these modern public toilets within 2017. But to our utter surprise, except construction of e-toilets at Fancybazar, Maligaon and Machkhowa, the GMC has not taken any steps till date to construct e-toilets in the city. Since Guwahati has been selected for development as smart city by the Union Government, we request the concerned authority responsible for development of Guwahati as smart city to give priority for construction of modern public toilets in the interest of citizens as well as tourists. Though there are some existing ‘Pay & Use” public toilets in the city, the conditions of such public toilets are in deplorable conditions due to improper maintence which are unfit for use.

Pradip Kakati,

1, bagraha Path,

Guwahati- 781 003.