Residents to maintain e-toilet at Bavdhan amid civic apathy
Despite the civic body having all the means and manpower fails to take concrete measures to maintain and keep the e-toilets functional
A majority of e-toilets installed by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) remain closed due to lack of maintenance. So, residents have stepped forward to maintain e-toilets in their neighbourhood.
In one such case, a resident from Bavdhan has come forward showing willingness to take responsibility for maintaining the e-toilet in his area.
Krunnal Gharre, who has decided to maintain the e-toilet at Bavdhan, said it is better to run the facility at his own expense than keep it closed.
“For the past several years, the e-toilet facility has been kept closed by PMC. Several residents face inconvenience due to this. Following which I decided to take responsibility to maintain the e-toilet on my own,” he said.
Gharre said, that the PMC will give this e-toilet to be maintained for a period of three months after which they will extend the responsibility. “I have also decided to take two more e-toilets to maintain with my own expenses,” he said.
Despite the civic body having all the means and manpower fails to take concrete measures to maintain and keep the e-toilets functional.
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, three e-toilets (FC Road, Om Super Market and Hirwai Garden) are currently functional.
Sandip Kadam, head, solid waste department, PMC, said, the civic body has the entire responsibility to run and maintain the e-toilets. Residents are welcome if they want to take responsibility for the e-toilets in their area.
“We have decided to give the e-toilet at Bavdhan to locals to maintain them and if the initiative is successful we are ready to give more e-toilets to residents,” he said.
Kadam further informed recently the tender to maintain five toilets has been given to a private player who has started three e-toilets and two more e-toilets will be made functional in a couple of days.
“We will evaluate the performance of this organisation and later give them the responsibility of maintaining the remaining e-toilets. The e-toilets facilities will be made free of cost for the public and PMC pay ₹7,000 per seat every month to the private player towards maintenance,” he said.
