The Hindu 14.01.2015
Self-cleaning e-Toilets in Tirupati soon
Facilities to come up at three major locations in the city
Compact steel structures, currently under construction
at three major locations in the temple city, seem to have sparked a
sense of inquiry among denizens and devotees. Failing to blend in with
the surroundings, these futuristic cabins have garnered a stream of
curious onlookers, who curiously ask workers repeatedly about its
function. These are nothing but the state-of-the-art, fully automated
e-Toilets, soon to be introduced by the Municipal Corporation of
Tirupati (MCT).
These toilets, developed by a private
company, Eram Scientific, will be set up at three arterial junctions in
the city – at Central Bus Station and near pilgrim amenities complex
Vishnu Nivasam opposite Railway Parcel Office and near Urban SP Office.
Welcoming
the introduction of automated toilets, Municipal Engineer B.
Chandrasekhar said the units, which cost Rs.5.5 lakh each, would have
all information about its usage in local languages.
It has exits and hooters to alert people outside in case of emergency.
“People
can use these toilets by inserting a nominal amount of Rs.2/5, which is
yet to be finalised by the Municipal Corporation. Subsequently, the
door is opened and occupancy of the cabin is displayed outside.
After every five uses, it automatically flushes the floor and has tissues/napkins for the people using it,” he added.
Mr.
Chandrasekhar said the toilets would require less human intervention as
inbuilt sensors monitor the situation inside the cabins.
“The
corporation is building tanks at the respective facilities to address
water shortage and the company’s service engineer would be training
engineers and workers for six months,” he maintained.
