Bhubaneswar: The municipal corporation is gearing up to introduce automatic and semi-automatic modular toilets in various parts of the city.

The corporation has floated a tender to select the agency that will take up the project and complete installation of the toilets by February. Initially, 60 such modular toilets - 30 automatic and 30 semi-automatic - would be installed at strategic locations. There would be separate toilets for men and women.

The objective of the exercise is to improve city's public amenities and enrich city's aesthetics, sanitation and hygiene. "The selected agency will design, install and maintain the toilets at 30 strategic locations of the city. One location will have two toilets, one for men and the other for women," said a civic body official.

Sources said bidding would be complete by the end of August following which the selected agency would get six months to complete the installations. The civic body has provided the basic size of the toilets. The toilet locations would be finalised after a survey.

According to the basic design and provisions made mandatory for the toilets, each unit would be modular in style while there will be basic facilities such as wash basins, urinals and closets made of stainless steel. Automatic and semi-automatic flushing system would be introduced with standard features such as health faucet, mirror and dustbins among others.

Feedback devices would be introduced at each unit besides providing a display space for advertisement on the outside. The civic body will collect a small fee for using the facilities from the public, which will be decided later in consultation with the executing agency.

An amount of Rs 7.5 lakh will be spend on each unit.

"The prefabricated modular toilets will be first of its kind in the city. The new installation will further help improving the sanitation scenario of the city. We are planning to install at least half the number of such toilets before the hockey world cup," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.