An essential facility

A Sindh High Court (SHC) bench comprising Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Mohammad Abdur Rahman has directed provincial and local authorities to establish public toilets and carry out maintenance of the existing such facilities at public places and government premises across the province.

If the advice is carried out in letter and spirit it will be a great service to the people of the province and specially the residents of the bustling over-populated city of Karachi. Though it might seem an ordinary and rather common facility it has great significance for the elderly and those that suffer from problems of the prostrate and believe me there is a large number of the population that falls in that category.

The order is different from any other such order in the past that it specifically points out the need for public toilets for females and the differently abled individuals. For Karachi the mayor Karachi will be in charge of implementing this order while in the rest of the province local authorities will ensure its implementation.

For a large city like Karachi the number of such facilities is truly inadequate. Public toilets maintained by local governments are few and far between. Such facilities are found mostly at petrol pumps, mosques and other places of worship and at shopping centers. At most mosques this facility is restricted to the timing of prayers and opens and closes after certain timings related to prayers.

pumps are a major facilitator in this regard and the previous government had made good use of their facility by ordering that all petrol pumps keep their toilet facilities clean, presentable and with water and allow citizens to use it without hindrance.

Actually people were asked to take pictures and report petrol pumps whose bathrooms were in a dilapidated condition or did not have the required facilities so that action could be taken against the company concerned. While this order did not really improve the standards of the facilities it at least opened it for public as previously the pump owners would restrict its use only to their customers and employees on the premises.

The High Court order and the news that followed do not mention any charges for the use of public toilet facilities. I think some payment should be allowed to be received by those maintaining the public toilet. First of all to keep the facility clean you have to hire a cleaner who not only cleans the toilets after use as most people do not care to flush after use or walk in with muddy shoes and slippers and within an hour of use the floor of the toilet looks like a swamp.

In many countries the user has to pay a fee. Like in England the usual fee is 50p and can go up to even a pound depending on your location. Already in Karachi in several shopping centers there is a charge for using the toilets except of course the mega shopping centers where it is not only free but clean, neat and with all facilities.

Five-star hotels also offer clean, neat and well equipped toilets but then they are for the customers who are paying extraordinary high prices in other areas. The mosques are of course free and since the prayer leaders are also residing in the mosque in most areas they ensure cleanliness and provision of all facilities. Right now the best bet for those looking for this facility are the mosques.

The order by their lordships is quite pertinent and after a long time a very basic need of the population has been highlighted. The order requires new facilities to be built where they are non-existent and for that each area can contribute by way of donations by the well to do of the area. After all I see a lot of philanthropists serving lunch and dinner and providing healthcare facilities to the people of Karachi. Clean neat toilets will not only provide a much needed facility to the people of the province and the city of Karachi but also assist in better health for the young and old and provide relief to those who wander around looking for such a facility.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024