Karnataka HC says, 60% of public toilets listed by BBMP could not be traced

In a shocking development, the Karnataka High Court has said that it could not find 60% of the public toilets listed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). The court made this observation while hearing a petition about the lack of adequate toilets in Bengaluru. 

The court said that it could not locate many toilets, with some of the addresses provided by the BBMP being incorrect. Among the 315 public toilets documented on the BBMP website, 186 were untraceable, and some lacked accurate addresses, the court said, according to The Times of India. 

The court had earlier asked the corporation to file a comprehensive and detailed report regarding the state of public and community toilets within the city within a span of three weeks. Following this, the BBMP previously submitted the report on April 6. 

Dissatisfied with the report, Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice MGS Kamal issued a stern warning to the civic body. 

The court criticised BBMP for hastily and mechanically compiling their action-taken report, without proper deliberation and thoughtful consideration. 

This report was in response to the evaluation of approximately 400 public toilets carried out by the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA). The KLSA had earlier highlighted deficiencies in the public toilets and suggested several measures. 

The court was  hearing a petition filed by Letzkit Foundation in 2020.  The court has been overseeing the condition of the toilets and the actions taken by the BBMP since a survey of the toilets was conducted by the KSLSA, as per the court's directive.

The petitioner had raised concerns about the inadequate adherence to section 245 of the KMC (Karnataka Municipal Corporation) Act, which mandates the establishment of public urinals. The petitioner further contended that this non-compliance also contravenes Article 47 of the Constitution, which places the responsibility on the state to elevate living standards and ensure public health.

The court observed the absence of facilities for differently-abled individuals and noted instances of broken windows in women's toilets.