Bhubaneswar: The housing and urban development department has asked the municipal corporation to hire more agencies for smooth operation and maintenance of public and community toilets.
The corporation will explore the option to involve local non-governmental organisations and self-help-groups for the job since they are more aware of the local needs and practices of the people.
The engagement of voluntary organisations also aimed at encouraging people to use the toilet facilities to the extent. The members of the organisations, apart from maintaining the toilet complex, will also sensitise the people on the benefits of using a toilet.
"We are steadily increasing the number of such toilet facilities in the city. Hence there is a need of more manpower to handle the new toilet complexes. We will float a tender and select the agencies for the purpose," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.
The civic body has increased the number of toilets in the city to almost double in the past six months.
There are 88 toilets in the city of which the civic body controls 65. The rest are maintained by agencies such as Sulabh International.
The civic body has already engaged the ward sanitation committees to look after the toilet facilities at various localities of the city. In latest move, voluntary organisations will be handed the responsibility of the job at important places, especially near slum settlements for proper maintenance of the toilet complexes.
"The number of toilets in the city has indeed increased, but there is a need to make people aware on using the same. There are still people who opt to urinate or defecate in the open rather than toilets," said Akash Maharana, a resident of Patia.
A senior official of the housing and urban development department said that there are 11 empanelled agencies, which are operating and maintaining the toilet complexes.
"There is a need to increase the number of such operators since the number of toilets are on the rise. There will be 150 new toilets in the city by the end of next year," said the official.
