The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd (MSEDCL) has sent a notice due to overdue electricity bill to a public toilet situated in lane no. 3, Janata Vasahat, a slum-like settlement in Parvati, Swargate.
Manisha Shekatakar, Superintending Engineer (Electrical), PMC, said, "We have not been informed about this. I'll ask the Junior Engineer to look into the matter, and if there is actually a due, we will pay it and solve the issue."
The highlight is that this public toilet is constructed by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for the use of the general public residing in that area, and the notice is in the name of the Executive Engineer, Electrical Department, PMC. The overdue amount is ₹24,190.
The notice warns that if the overdue amount is not paid, the electricity supply will be disconnected.
The warning in the letter is concerning the residents, who are reeling with the fear of electricity disconnection in the public toilets, as nobody from the PMC has taken cognisance of the issue. The women living in the slums are afraid of what they will do if electricity is disconnected and they have to use the washrooms at night. The girls complain that the public toilet is located on the outskirts and can lead to any mishap due to the non-availability of light, especially at night.
Notice posted 15 days ago
According to the residents living in that area, around 15 days ago, a notice was posted on the wall outside the toilet by MSEDCL.
Speaking to Free Press Journal (FPJ), Chetan Harwade, a resident of Janata Vasahat, said, “So far the electricity has not gone, but we are living in fear as the warning period of 15 days is already over, and PMC has yet to pay the bills. If the electricity of our toilets is cut, it will cause real trouble for us, and the females of our houses will suffer the most.”
Shashikant Kale, the city president of the auto rickshaw union of the Nationalist Congress Party, said, “If the electricity is disconnected, where will the general public go for sanitation during the night? The safety of women in the slums has become a critical issue, and the blind and disabled will also face difficulties. If PMC does not take note of the issue, we will protest in the offices of the concerned officials of PMC by bringing citizens and buckets from the toilet.”
