In a city that boasts of being the IT capital of India, a family in Bengaluru has been living in a stinking public toilet for over two weeks now after losing their home in rains in an area called Lakkasandra. And to make matters worse, Rashmiamma, a 71-year-old Dalit woman and head of the family, who was living in the public toilet, died on October 23.
Soon after the family were forced to move into a public toilet on October 10, they had made fervent pleas to the authorities in the Civic body that fell on deaf ears.
The toilet is in the midst of piled-up garbage that is over two weeks old.
Rashmiamma was living with her 44-year-old daughter Geeta, her daughter-in-law Palaniamma and four grandchildren in a 10 ft x 10 ft structure. The heavy rains on the night of October 10 had submerged their house and the entire structure collapsed. Rashmiamma and her family then fled with their belongings to a near-by public toilet, according to a report in The Newsminute.
Incidentally, Rashmiamma was employed as a cleaner in the same toilet she was living in. She went knocking on many doors and unable to bear the stress and strain, she collapsed on October 23. Though activists rushed her to a hospital, she died on the way.
On October 27, local MLA Uday Garudachar visited the family and promised help that never came.
Bengaluru South Zone Deputy Commissioner Lakshmi Devi was quoted in the media as saying that the family will soon be relocated.
