People suffer from govt apathy to public concern

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, November 25

The major city junctions and roads are littered with human excreta. However, the plans of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City to build two dozens of toilets in the public private partnership (PPP) has been jeopardised due to the negligence of three concerned ministries.

"Our plans to construct public toilets in the PPP modality went in vain as other concerned ministries did not allow us to use public land," said Rabin Man Shrestha, chief of the Environment Management Department at the KMC. "We forwarded proposals many times but in vain."

Deepak KC, coordinator of the UNDP supported PPP Urban Environment section in KMC, said that the agreements were made with Kanchan Trade Link, and Arati & Company about four years ago to build 20 such public toilets in different places.

"However, only three toilets could be built yet," said KC. AC has been successfully operating two toilets at Ratna Park and Chabahil while KTL at Bhotahity. "They are very interested to build more toilets as it is lucrative business," he added.

These busy junctions include Kalanki, Gaushala, Babarmahal, Bagbazaar, Maharajgunj, Balaju and Koteshwor among others. "General people are facing difficulties in the absence of toilets in such public places," said KC. "On the other hand, the streets are polluted with stinking urine and stools," he worried.

"We could not provide the lands to the private companies after the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, Ministry of Labour and Transport and Ministry of Home Affairs did not approve our proposal," said KC. "MoPPW is main responsible ministry to approve our proposal," said Shrestha.

Hari Prasad Sharma, spokesperson for the MoPPW, said that he was completely ignorant about the issue. "We can not allow them to build toilets at Kalanki, Balaju and Maharjgunj at present time due to some technical problems," he said. "We will study on the case for other places. Then we can allow them to construct the toilets in appropriate places," he added.

The KMC, which is equally responsible towards public concerns, has also failed to maintain the existing toilets built in different busy places in the city. "We are suffering from the lack of facilities of public toilets," said Bharat Dangal, 58, a commuter hailed from Dolakha. "I had to suffer too much in resisting the nature's calls after I failed to find a toilet last year when I came to shop goods here," he added.

There are about three dozens of public toilets in different places including in business complexes and centres. Some 16 toilets are stationed at public places in KMC, according to the EMD. All of them are in a sorry state and not in usable condition, said Shrestha, admitting their negligence. "We need to replace them with new ones. Therefore, we are thinking of rebuilding them with new system in those places," he added.