VASCO
While the government claims to have built more than 3 crore toilets under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to make India open defecation free and achieve 100 per cent sanitation coverage by October 2019, here’s one public toilet at Mestawada in Vasco with broken doors, no proper water supply, choked pans and loitering reptiles that has been ignored for years by the Municipal authorities and PWD together, has angered residents.
The Mormugao municipality’s six-seater public toilet was built on a land donated by Dempo Properties and Investment and inaugurated by former MLA Vasco, Rajendra Arlekar in the year 2005.
But sadly 13 years later, the toilet has no proper latching and broken doors, curtains are used as a replacement for doors to safeguard privacy. Today, the women using the toilet deploy their husband as watchman outside the toilet.
One such woman user, Deepika Chari told reporters that women would use stones, umbrellas and buckets outside the door to indicate their presence inside. “We have made several letters to MMC and our councillor. No one is bothered. The PWD nor the MMC are concerned. While women cannot defecate in the open, using a toilet with broken doors is risky as well. We keep our husbands outside the toilet when we use it,” said Chari.
Another resident Prahlad Morajkar said that there is a thick vegetation that has grown behind the toilet and snakes are often seen near the toilet. “We are totally helpless. There is no way we can avoid using this toilet and we feel scared also at the same time. The present councillor carried out minor repairs at her own cost. I wonder why the MMC
nor the PWD are responding to our requests,” said Morajkar.
When contacted ward councillor, Rochana Borker, she said that she had written to the Chief Officer somewhere in 2017 and was constantly following up on the matter but nothing has been done till date. “I had submitted a letter and a memorandum as well to the CO in 2017 and I have been following up the same. The Junior Engineer has come several times and has taken photos but nothing has been done till date. I will now submit another letter to the new CO and hope he takes some action. Women cannot be subjected to such situations like using public toilets without doors,” said Borker.
CO says unaware, but assures action under Swachh Bharat scheme
VASCO: The Mormugao Municipal Council Chief Officer, Angelo Fernandes said he had joined recently and was not aware of any such toilets and requested the councillor to bring it to his notice. He also assured prompt action under Swachh Bharat scheme.
“I am not aware of this. The councillor can get it to my notice and we can definitely take immediate action
under Swachh Bharat scheme. It is indeed sad that women are going through such bad situation. Women have to be respected,” said Fernandes.
“The Swachh Bharat project is divided into two categories, Gramin and Urban and there are various schemes under this project as Swachh Bharat project aims to have a completely open defecation free India by 2019, which is the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. We can surely take some action under such schemes. I request councillors to immediately bring such issues to my notice and I will enact immediately.”
