Bhubaneswar, Aug. 23: Toilet Ek Prem Katha with a difference is unfolding near home. The municipal corporation here plans to inaugurate 23 loos across the city to mark Local Self Government Day Celebration on August 31.
Of the 23 toilets, 17 will be hybrid, which means both community users and the general public can access the loos, while the remaining six will be dedicated to slum dwellers. The community toilets will be part of Project Samman.
"In May last year, we roped in Sulabh International for execution of the unique hybrid toilet project in the city. The contractor started the work in July and has completed 17 toilets. Work on another 13 toilets are under way," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena. He said the city would have 50 hybrid toilets by March next year.
The new toilets will be opened for public use on August 31. These toilets are being built at Chandrasekharpur, Tankapani, Mancheswar, Niladri Vihar, Jayadev Vihar, VSS Nagar, Satya Nagar and Old Town, GGP Colony, Rasulgarh, Kharavela Nagar and Unit IX.
"We aimed to create history by opening the toilets on a single day," said the mayor.
Residents have lauded the civic body's efforts for taking such prompt action to introduce the toilets. Once the toilets are launched, the city will have 65 toilets and the count will increase to 88.
"A year ago, finding a toilet was tough. Even if we found one, it was difficult to use due to lack of maintenance and fetid smell. The scenario has changed now. It is absolutely a miracle. I can now find toilets almost everywhere in the city. I hope this will change the city's sanitation scenario," said Unit VIIII resident Jagannath Patra.
The hybrid toilets will vary in size and will be a pay and use service for users. It will be similar to the toilets built under Project Samman. The toilets will have three, five and seven seats depending on the localities. In the next move, the civic body will geo tag the facilities that will help users spot them on Google Maps.
"The plan is to have more than 150 hybrid toilets in the city in the next three years. The toilets will collectively have more than 1,500 seats. Besides, 27 public and 26 community toilets will be introduced by March next year under Project Samman," said a senior civic body official.
