The Hindu 30.05.2013
Raichur city fails to wake up to e-toilets
They remain in disuse even nine months after the launch.
The headquarters of one of the backward districts of the State witnessed a progressive initiative in sanitation management with the Raichur City Municipal Council (CMC) inaugurating three electronic toilets on August 14, 2012.
The e-toilets at three vital spots in the city — near the CMC, Ambedkar Circle and Teen Kandeel circle — were the first of their kind in the State. Nine months on, however, the toilets have hardly been used.
CMC Commissioner in charge V. Shashikala blamed lack of awareness among the people for it. “People don’t know how to use these technologically advanced toilets. They are afraid to use it; they fear being locked up inside the toilets,” she says.
It seems that the CMC was in a hurry to achieve a paradigm shift from the most backward to the most forward district through these hi-tech e-toilets. But it didn’t show the same enthusiasm in educating the public on how to use these toilets, thanks to which the toilets remained almost unused. And one fine day the CMC men promptly locked them and forgot about them.
The toilets were built at a cost of around Rs. 5 lakh each. Thiruvananthapuram-based Eram Scientific Solutions Pvt. Ltd., which had built several such toilets in Kerala with government funds, built it in Raichur as well.
These coin-operated and fully automatic toilets have more to them. The main door opens when a Rs. 2 coin is inserted. Upon entering it, body-sensors installed in the toilets start their work; the main fans, exhaust fans, lights and FM radio get switched on instantly.
After 20 minutes, an alarm bell rings to indicate that the time is getting over. As a person comes out, fans, lights and radio get switched off, and the machines clean and sterilise the toilet. Each toilet has a water tank with a capacity of 500 litres.
How then is the CMC going to raise awareness among the people? Mallikarjun, an engineer in Environment Department of the CMC, has a solution. “It is true that the e-toilets had some technical problems initially and they were fixed. But the main problem is that people are not yet used to it. The challenge before the CMC is to make them aware of how to use them. We are planning on building two normal toilets adjacent to these e-toilets and appoint a caretaker. When people come to use the normal toilets, the caretaker will show them how to use e-toilet. We have put this plan before the Deputy Commissioner and he has responded positively,” Mr. Mallikarjun said.
Ms. Shashikala is also interested in the awareness programme, but not through normal toilets. “The biggest problem with the normal toilets is keeping them clean. We should increasingly move towards initiatives like e-toilets and make people aware about their use,” she adds.
