Bhopal Women Struggle For Clean Public Toilets Despite Woman-Led Civic Administration

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The mayor of Bhopal is a woman and Bhopal municipal commissioner is also a woman. Yet, one of the most basic needs of women in the city, access to clean, exclusive and sufficient public toilets, remains neglected. Major commercial markets across the city lack women's restrooms.

The few that do exist lack proper signage, making them difficult to locate for non-regular visitors.

They are filthy, foul-smelling and lack basic handwashing facilities. As a result, women visiting markets often drink less water to avoid using toilets or hold their urine, both of which affect their health.

New Market has three Sulabh Shauchalayas - the first beside Kwality Restaurant, the second near Gagar Sweets and the third in GTB Complex.

Some toilets have no doors and users have to make do with curtains. There are also broken taps, missing cisterns and wet floors. All of them stink.

There is no provision for liquid handwash or soap. "If we keep soap or handwash, people take it away. So, we supply it if someone approaches us," the person manning one of them said.

New Market also has a free toilet exclusively for women run by BMC. "It stinks. We have to cover our nose and mouth when we visit it.

There is no handwash and even if there was, it would have been of no use as there is no water," said a saleswoman at a nearby store. A bio-toilet built by the Smart City project on Lake View Road is shut.

The situation is worse in Old City. There is one Sulabh Shauchalaya at Chowk Bazar, which is so filthy that few women use it. "Women sometimes spend hours in the markets.

A toilet is a basic need. Let them charge money if they want, but they should provide toilets for women," said Shail Awasthi, a counsellor who lives in the Old City.

She said women familiar with the area often use toilets at the dharmashalas of different communities located there.

The She Lounge at Polytechnic Square has a toilet, but it too lacks hygiene and basic facilities. "We don't keep liquid handwash in the toilet as students from MLB College walk away with it," said the person who manages the She Lounge and also runs a stationery shop there.

Can't build exclusive toilets for women everywhere

"We have an adequate number of toilets. We cannot build exclusive toilets for women everywhere, as we must cater to both men and women. There are public toilets for women at three locations in the Old City - Somwara, Kotwali and Chowk.

In New Market, there is one near the multi-storeyed parking facility. These toilets are cleaned regularly, and the caretakers who have adopted them ensure they are well maintained."

Malti Rai, mayor

Holding urine, using dirty toilets pose health hazards

Having access to clean toilets at public places is a right of women. Holding urine puts pressure on the walls of the bladder.

Drinking less water to avoid visiting toilets or using filthy toilets can lead to ascending infections, UTIs and STIs.

Holding urine during periods may even lead to the vagina and genital organs getting infected. Itching, fever, pain and a frequent urge to urinate may result.

Rachana Dubey, gynaecologist