Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 8: Constructed several years ago, half a dozen public toilets are yet to be made operational at bus stands in Handwara and Rajwar in north Kashmir.
Locals alleged that the construction of these public toilets began before 2019, and despite completion after spending lakhs of rupees, they have not been made operational.
“These public toilets are situated at the main bus stand in Handwara and the old bus stand in Rajwar; they are complete in every sense, but they have not been made operational, causing issues for people,” said Rayees Ahmad, a local resident.
Without being used by the public, locals alleged, these toilets now present a dilapidated condition, making people question the rationale behind spending money and not allowing the general public to use them.
“We have heard that nearly Rs 15 lakh was spent on the construction of four toilets in Handwara; a similar amount must have been spent at the other location. It is a total waste of funds,” another resident said.
However, officials refute the claims of these toilets being inoperative. “These were in operation and were damaged due to mishandling by the public, later closed,” said Executive Officer (EO) of the Municipal Committee, Handwara, Farhana Showkat.
Due to the absence of toilets at the bus stands, locals said that passengers, especially women, face hardships due to the non-availability of public conveniences.
“The main motive was to facilitate travellers by providing necessary facilities, but despite spending money and having the structures complete, the toilets are not in operation,” said Ghulam Muhammad, another local resident.
The locals informed that the issue was also raised by the district administration with the authorities of the Municipal Council (MC) Handwara, but to no avail.
“The MC has said that there is an issue with the water supply, which is why the toilets have not been made operational. They should have considered this before spending money; it speaks of poor planning on the part of the MC officials,” the locals said.
The EO said that after assessing the damages during a recent visit, they have asked the concerned contractor to carry out the necessary repairs so that these toilets could be put to use. “The contractor will assess it and do the needful; they will soon be put back to use,” she said.
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