Picnickers at the scenic Dimna Lake, one of the more popular tourist attractions near the steel city, aren’t having such a good time for want of a basic facility: toilets.
For all the tall talk of the district administration that promised to beef up certain basic amenities at these spots, visitors have been terribly inconvenienced.
Picnickers from neighbouring Bengal, Bihar, Odisha and even Uttar Pradesh, who usually arrive in buses, also visit Jubilee Park in Jamshedpur in the evening. The landmark green lung has no toilet issue. But Dimna Lake, 12km from the steel city, which is usually tourists’ first halt, has no toilets.
“I observed that the district administration has deployed adequate number of policemen at the sprawling Dimna Lake. But it would have been wise for it to arrange for mobile toilets near the lake,” noted Pradip Chakraborty, a resident of Behala in Calcutta, who had come with his family.
Kharagpur resident Swapan Chatterjee, who had been to Dimna Lake with friends, also rued the absence of toilets. “It becomes very problematic for people in the absence of loos. This beautiful place has no meaning without basic facilities,” he said.
Tridib Mohanty from Bhubaneswar said he was hopeful that toilets would be in place this season, but found none when he visited Dimna. “I was disappointed. I will now come to Dimna only when mobile toilets are installed,” he added angrily.
Absence of toilets leads to familiar scenarios of men relieving themselves in the open and women going into nearby bushes as their friends and family form a protective ring around them.
“Women have to look for the jungles which is kind of odd,” observed Chakraborty, adding that it was their second trip to Dimna in the past three years.
“I recollect there were adequate toilets at Jubilee Park. But the situation at Dimna remains the same as it was three years back,” the 45-year-old told The Telegraph.
Although Dimna Lake is not under the Mango Notified Area Committee (MNAC), civic officials admit the issue needs to be resolved soon, especially when national surveys were on to ensure that the Centre’s ODF (open defecation free) goals were met.
“It is a genuine problem and mobile toilets must be arranged. We will approach Jusco for help,” said MNAC special officer Rajendra Gupta.
Tanzil Khan, the OC of Bodam police station, under whose jurisdiction Dimna Lake falls, said they had done their job by taken care of security measures. A week ago 10 policemen had been deployed there.
Yes, security at tourist destinations is important. But basic facilities such as clean toilets and drinking water are a must too. And the Jharkhand government that is always talking of the abundant natural resources of the state needs to act fast.