'Bengaluru public toilets in bad shape; used as kitchens': Karnataka HC orders survey

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday directed the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) to inspect the condition of public toilets in Bengaluru, over reports of some toilets are allegedly being used as 'kitchens'.  

An order passed by a Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum stated that the KSLSA should conduct a survey of public toilets to find out whether water is available and whether hygiene at the premises is maintained. The court requested the Bengaluru Municipal Corporation (BBMP) to communicate the order to the Member Secretary of the KSLSA. 

The bench was hearing a petition filed by NGO Letzkit Foundation, which raised concerns about the civic body not building adequate public toilets in Bengaluru. The petitioner’s counsel, Ramesh Puthige, informed the court that the few existing public toilets in the city were also in bad shape. He further presented photographic evidence to the court, showing that the toilets were being used as kitchens.

In July, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had conducted a survey earlier on the number and the status of toilets and presented it to the court. The survey, conducted by private institute 'All India Institute of Local Self Government,' compared the status of public toilets with some of the other major cities in India. The High Court was however dissatisfied with the survey, which indicated that there were fewer public toilets in Bengaluru compared to other cities. It was also revealed that the BBMP did not have centralized data about public toilets.

Karnataka HC pulls up state DMs over Manual Scavenging deaths

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Karnataka High Court ordered the state District Magistrates (DM) to ensure that manual scavenging was not practised. The High Court summoned all DMs over the flouting of norms under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. 

It directed the DMs to ensure the rehabilitation of manual scavengers and ordered them to file a detailed report as to why the proposed survey was not completed yet. The HC also directed the Magistrates to create awareness among officials to follow the rules of the Act. 

In 2021 alone, Karnataka has reported eight deaths due to manual scavenging. In January, two manual scavengers suffocated to death post which the Karnataka HC had disbursed a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of the victims. Three more had died due to asphyxiation while cleaning a manhole in Ramanagar near Mysuru. 

(Image Credits: Pixabay)