Mysore/Mysuru: Two-and-a-half-years after the foundation stone was laid for the hi-tech heritage-style toilet, the facility was inaugurated this morning. The toilet has been built in the Town Hall (Rangacharlu Memorial Hall) premises facing Gandhi Square, the first of its kind in the city.
The Mysuru City Corporation collaborated with the Namma Mysuru Foundation (NMF) to build the modern facility at a cost of Rs. 1.4 crore with an aim to provide freedom from stinky toilets. Mysuru District Minister S.T. Somashekar and the then-city Mayor Tasneem laid the Foundation stone for the toilet on Sept. 28, 2020. The works moved at a snail’s pace due to the COVID-19 and other factors.
Chamaraja MLA L. Nagendra and Mayor Shivakumar inaugurated the pay-and-use toilet by cutting the tape. It has separate bathrooms for men and women, western and Indian toilets, a feeding room for mothers, a ticket counter, a store room and a security room along with basic infrastructural facilities. Water sumps, overhead water tank and electricity connection have been provided, for the benefit of the general public.
Interestingly, for the inauguration, the women’s section entrance sported pink balloons while the men’s section had blue balloons welcoming the users. The NMF will handle the maintenance of the toilet complex built in the dimension of 40×60 ft for a period of five years, before handing it over to MCC.
Speaking on the occasion, MLA Nagendra said that the NMF will run and maintain the toilet under a BOOT (Build, Own, Operate, Transfer) agreement for five years. Pointing out that the toilet has been constructed by the NMF out of its own funds, he said that it is built with a heritage concept, with all heritage characteristics attached to the building.
Maintaining that the newly constructed toilet building has a heritage value, with intrinsic style, traditions and characteristics, the MLA called upon the people to make the best use of it while also maintaining cleanliness and hygiene.
Noting that a ‘pink toilet’ for women was inaugurated recently near the Junction of D. Devaraj Urs Road and Dewan’s Road, Nagendra said that the pink toilet, which has many facilities for women.
“Our aim is to increase women’s physical and economic mobility by creating safe and gender-friendly public spaces, thus increasing their participation in public life,” he said.
Deputy Mayor Dr. G. Roopa, MCC Commissioner G. Lakshmikantha Reddy, Superintending Engineer (SE) Mahesh, Member of the District Heritage Committee and Project Heritage Consultant Prof. N.S. Rangaraju, NMF Managing Trustee K. Dasharath, Founding Trustee C.R. Pavithra, Treasurer Dinesh Bopanna and others were present.
This post was published on March 20, 2023 7:59 pm