The other day, I went for a morning stroll at the famous NTI Ground in Vidyaranyapura, Bengaluru. It was a lively morning. I noticed more than a hundred people playing on the relatively small ground. They were enthusiastic, energetic and thoroughly enjoying their morning game.
As I walked around the ground, I noticed a small stage-like structure constructed by the BBMP on the western side. Then I noticed something else. Behind the stage, close to the wall, a man was standing and urinating.
My first reaction was probably the same as that of many of
us: Why would someone do this in a public place when there is a toilet
nearby?
I continued my walk.
A little later, I saw the same man sitting on the steps of
the stage. I approached him and asked, “Why didn't you use the public toilet
behind the stage?”
His response made me stop and think.
“Have you seen the toilet? Are the doors open?”
I went and checked. To my disappointment, both the men's and women's public toilets were locked.
(GPS photo of Locked up Public Toilet)
The man then explained:
“We are senior citizens. Many of us have diabetes and
sometimes it is difficult to control the urge to urinate. Here is a
toilet but it is locked, what are we supposed to do? Where can we go?”
Suddenly, what I had initially seen as simply an act of
public nuisance looked very different.
Perhaps the question was not only, “Why did he urinate
there?”
Perhaps we should also ask, “Why was the public toilet
locked?”
What is the purpose of a public toilet if the public
cannot use it?
Constructing a toilet is only the first step. A public
toilet becomes useful only when it is open, accessible, clean, maintained
and available when people need it.
A busy public ground is likely to have children, youngsters,
women, senior citizens and people with different health needs. When hundreds of
people use a public space, basic sanitation facilities are not a luxury. They
are essential infrastructure.
We often tell citizens, “Do not urinate in public places. Keep the city clean.” That message is certainly important.
But can we expect people to follow such instructions when
the necessary facilities are unavailable or locked?
Clean cities need responsible citizens—but responsible
citizens also need functional infrastructure.
This is not about blaming one person or one department. It
is about asking a simple question: if public money is spent to construct a
public toilet, shouldn't equal attention be given to keeping it open, clean and
usable?
Perhaps the solution is not complicated. Public toilets at
busy locations should have clear operating hours, regular cleaning, proper
maintenance and someone responsible for ensuring that they remain accessible.
I
The next time we see someone urinating in a public place, perhaps we should pause before passing judgment.
And how can we make Bangalore Cleaner and GREATER?