With the Central and the State Governments flaunting their commitment to make India and the State clean through providing toilets to the people, the reality in the holy city Haridwar is far from reassuring.
The fuel pumps, the commercial complexes and the mela zone being devoid of proper toilet facilities, both the locals and the pilgrims are perforce relieving themselves in the open. Things are such that even most of the fuel pumps located along the national highways does not have well maintained toilets with proper hygiene. This despite the fact that a year before National Highway Authority of India had issued a notification to all the oil companies to ensure hygiene and maintenance of toilets at the fuel pumps.
“Either the loos at petrol pumps are not open or there is no water supply,” complained a pilgrim, Raman Parti from Chandigarh who had come here to immerse the mortal remains of her mother- in law at Har Ki Pauri.
To check open defecation during the special occasions when the pilgrims in their thousands throng Haridwar from across the country, the mela officials had conceptualised construction of 7500 toilets, urinals and bathrooms at major parking locations across the Mela zone on a temporary basis during Ardh Kumbh Mela last year. They are of three types – brick- based, pre-fabricated and mobile. The officials claim that this would ensure zero delivery of the waste to the soil or in the open grounds during the major congregations with close to 400 places being selected for the facilities. However, the question that begs answer is why the administration is not thinking in terms of constructing such toilets and other facilities on a permanent basis with the holy city seeing holy dip congregations at least twice a month.
Along with the pilgrims, the locals, particularly the women, are bearing the brunt of the administrative apathy as they have no place to relieve themselves while flocking to the commercial complexes located in the heart of the city.
A shopper found outside a gift gallery at Ranipur Mod- the city’s commercial hub- was in trouble as she was groping for public conveniences. “I have been going round the complex for some time as per the directions of the shop owners to find a proper place to ease myself. I am yet to locate one. The three-storey complex has just one garbage corner and a side wall is being used by the people to relieve themselves,” said Madhurima who came for shopping from Gyanlok Colony.
Many shop- owners and those who work for them go to the nearby railway tracks or behind the lIC building to urinate, said a confectioner doing business from Ranipur Mod.
There are six major commercial complexes located around Ranipur More area, but no toilet facility is available in any of them. Even the shop –owners are being forced to urinate in the open. The problem is the same for those who are doing business or working in other commercial places like Alankar Palace, Arya Nagar, Jwalapur and Shankar Ashram Complex markets.
Despite regular complaints and demands being raised by the members of the Vyapar Mandal to the district administration, no action has been taken so far. No action has been taken against the commercial builders either who have the sold space meant for housing toilets in the shopping complexes for their own benefit.
Speaking to The Pioneer, president of Chandracharya Chownk Vyapal Mandal Mridul Kaushik said, “Everyone is facing the same problem, but none is acting to solve it. We have submitted many complaints to the district administration and Nagar Nigam, asking them to build public toilet in this area. But our complaints are falling on deaf ears.
The shop owners themselves have denied to give space underneath the stairs for building toilets, fearing that the stink emanating from them would keep the customers away. The result is that some shops like tea stalls, snacks corner and Xerox shops have come up in the spaces meant for housing toilets.”
Quizzed, the secretary HRDA Banshidahr Tiwari said he was not aware of things. “Providing public amenities in any public place is a must. We would conduct an inquiry to see whether spaces meant for the toilets have been sold by the builders for other purposes. If the charge comes out to be true stern action would be taken against the errant builders,” he averred.