Women employees at the Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, the headquarters of the Municipal Corporation in Nashik, are facing distressing conditions due to the poor state of the toilets. The deteriorating condition of these facilities has sparked frustration among employees, who demand immediate action to address the situation.
The Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, where the city's administration operates, houses around 1,000 to 1,500 employees. Despite being a three-storey building with separate toilets for men and women on each floor, the facilities have significantly degraded over the past 25 years.
The women's toilets, in particular, have fallen into disrepair, with issues ranging from rotten door panels and leaking faucets to missing drains and broken window frames. The deteriorating state of the toilets has rendered them virtually unusable, leaving women employees with no choice but to endure unhygienic conditions.
Complaints regarding the dire state of the toilets reached Municipal Commissioner Dr Ashok Karanjkar, prompting him to take immediate action. Alongside the head of the sanitation department Dr Awesh Palod, Karanjkar inspected the facilities and approved a renovation plan for all toilets in the headquarters, amounting to an estimated cost of ₹1 crore.
Despite the approval for renovation, women employees emphasise the urgent need for cleanliness in the interim period. They assert that maintaining basic hygiene standards is crucial for the usability of the toilets on a daily basis. With renovation work yet to commence, the demand for immediate cleanliness measures remains paramount to alleviate the plight of women employees facing the unsanitary conditions of the current facilities.
