A majority of Bengaluru’s public toilets remain inaccessible to persons with disabilities (PwDs), with more than 95% unusable, according to a public toilet audit conducted by the Area Sabhas of the Bengaluru NavaNirmana Party (BNP). The audit of 38 facilities across 21 wards, submitted to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao M, on January 28, also found that the city has no dedicated toilets for transgender persons.
The survey, carried out between November 2025 and January 2026, indicates systemic gaps in accessibility, safety and hygiene. While most toilets are officially listed as “open”, BNP found that 55% of toilets are either partially functional, poorly maintained or effectively unusable.
Only 17 of the 38 toilets (45%) were found fully functional. The rest were either poorly maintained or unusable, and over 10% were completely shut. All toilets relied solely on tanker water, with none equipped with rainwater harvesting or solar lighting systems.
Accessibility emerged as one of the most severe concerns. Over 92% of toilets had only steps for entry, none had usable ramps, and toilets marked for PwDs were often locked or used as storage.
Lalithamba BV, BNP governing council member, said the audit exposed what could be hidden if the city skipped sanitation surveys. “A toilet being ‘open’ does not mean it is usable. When over 95% of facilities exclude PwDs and basic safety and hygiene are missing, it becomes a question of dignity, public health and governance failure,” she said.
Women’s facilities were available at a 1:4 ratio compared to men’s, and many of the women’s toilets audited were locked, non-functional or unhygienic. None of the 38 facilities had bathing areas, changing rooms or childcare spaces for women. Safety remained a major concern: 71% of women’s toilets were deemed unsafe, only 15% had a female caretaker, CCTV coverage existed in just 7%, emergency contact details were rarely displayed, and inadequate internal and external lighting further heightened risks.
Hygiene standards posed significant public health hazards. Three-fourths of the toilets had overflowing or unsegregated waste bins, over 95% lacked proper solid waste segregation, with most relying on a single open bin. Wet or slippery floors were reported in 40% of facilities, persistent foul odour in 28%, and none consistently provided soap or handwash.
BNP has called for immediate ward-wise corrective action, including a 30 day repair and cleaning drive, transparent disclosure of toilet data, and long-term reforms such as regular audits, gender-neutral facilities, and citizen-led monitoring to ensure accountability.
With Bengaluru’s civic polls scheduled after May 25, BNP is also set to contest the elections. The GBA elections, to be held using ballot papers, will take place nearly six years after the previous elected body's term ended.
