The new public toilet at Jubilee Park. Picture by Srinivas

Jamshedpur, July 26: Dilapidated and stinky public toilets in the steel city will now be a thing of the past as they will be replaced with 21 new toilets which will come up within the next three to four years.

The first of such toilets to be inaugurated in the next couple of days is near Jubilee Park, Sakchi. It will be spread across an area of 3,500 square feet with five sections and there will also be a separate bathroom for the physically challenged.

This lavatory has undergone a great degree of beautification, internally and externally. The entrance of this toilet, too, has been given a new look and stones from Rajasthan have been used for beautification.

The location of Jubilee Park has been chosen to target the affluent class and college students. ?The new look of public lavatory will attract the upper section of society and no one will hesitate to use it,? officials added.

Five more public lavatories will also undergo a facelift in the current fiscal (2006-07) in the two commercial hubs of the steel city ? Bistupur and Sakchi. In the coming fiscal years, another 15 public lavatories would be upgraded in various parts of city.

Sulabh International Society Service Organisation (Sisso), an NGO, has signed memorandum of understanding with the Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company (Jusco) to revamp a total of 21 old public lavatories phase-wise in the city in coming years.

Sisso will look after the revamped public lavatories for 20-odd years.

Cleanliness in the new toilets will be ensured by importing machines worth Rs 4 lakh, claimed officials.

A high-jet press machine and other sophisticated equipment for various sanitary works will be imported.

Yet, according to officials, the persons will have to pay only the nominal charges for using the public lavatory.

?The idea is to provide basic facilities to people at strategic locations in city,? a senior official of Jusco said.

?Although there was not enough room for beautification of the public lavatory but we tried our best to give the most attractive look,? said an official.