Stany Bela
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Sep 19: E-toilets, a phenomenon that was welcomed in the city two months back, now ceases to function.
The first-ever e-toilets in Dakshina Kannada district were inaugurated at Lalbagh, by MLA J R Lobo and mayor Kavita Sanil on Tuesday, July 11 this year.
A total of five e-toilets, each worth Rs 6.25 lac, were constructed in partnership with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd as part of their corporate social responsibility. Two of these toilets, one for men and the other for women, is at Lalbagh bus stand, two more are at Kadri Park and another one at Hampankatta. Now, only two remain functional.
Each of these toilets was said to have 300-litre water tanks.
No Power, No Water
The two e-toilets situated in Lalbagh near the MCC building show up 'No water - No power' sign when one tries to use them. A technical problem in the coin box further intensifies the problem. When a coin is inserted in the slot provided, the door fails to open and the coin fails to return.
The e-toilet constructed at Hampankatta developed issues a few days after its inauguration because of its direct link to the drainage. The administration planned to close it temporarily and later reinstalled it at the railway station road near Town Hall. The toilet also has technical issues. It accepts the coin at times, but the door does not open. Many local merchants and dwellers dump water near the toilet causing a stench. That, and the dirty surrounding causes people to not visit the modern marvel for their basic need.
The toilet situated in front of Kadri Park does not have any technical issues. It functions correctly. The toilet has a 250 to the 300-liter water tank. In the morning, many people use this toilet, and at around 10 am the water tank runs dry. The toilet functions under an automatic system. Once there is no proper water facility, it becomes non-functional and takes days to repair.
Ranjan, a shopkeeper at Lalbagh said, "Many do not know how to use e-toilets. They do not know how to insert the coin and open the door. Some push and pull the doors without inserting the coin. Some express fear of locking themselves inside the toilets, and use public places nearby for nature's call."
Manoj, an auto driver who regularly uses the e-toilet at Kadri said, "If we insert a coin, the door of the toilet opens automatically. When we enter the toilet, the light, fan, exhaust, all automatically operate. If you use it for three minutes, 1.5 litre of water is used for flushing; and if you use more than three minutes 4.5 litre water is used. After every ten users, the entire toilet gets cleaned automatically. Majority of users do not know how to use it in a proper way."
Speaking to daijiworld, MCC commissioner Mohammad Nazir said, "The company which takes care of e-toilets has a contract to maintain them, and it gets information about the technical faults through GPS. Their head office is at Bengaluru. They send their technicians to repair the toilets. Within a week or two, they make it functional. As there are a large number of users, water gets exhausted at the Kadri e-toilet. We have a 350-litre water tank there but it is not enough. In the coming days, we are planning to fix a new water tank with more capacity.
"The e-toilet near Hampankatta is often targeted by miscreants and beggars and drunkards. They push and pull the doors without inserting coins. Sometimes they try to break its electric system," he added.
Before stationing more e-toilets in the city, the city corporation wanted to study the response of the people and their experience with the ones currently installed. The state of the toilets in two month's time serves as a good estimate for course correction.
In general, the city needs more toilets especially in Nanthoor, Market Road, KPT Junction, Kottara Chowki, PVS, Kadri, Mallikatte, Attavar, and Kankanady. The toilets at PVS junction have poor maintenance, and no one uses them. For a smart city, smart and clean toilets are vital.