The long-pending demand of the highway users, especially pilgrims travelling to Kukke Subrahmanya and Sri Kshethra Dharmasthala, to have a public toilet facility by the side of National Highway 75 has been realised in Gundya.
The Zilla Panchayat and District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (Disha) had been discussing the need for a toilet complex on NH 75 for the last several years.
The district-level officials, DK MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and the district in-charge minister had been raising the issue of many travellers on the highway, especially women, facing inconvenience, due to the non-availability of public toilets on the highway in all the meetings.
Now, the Shiradi Gram Panchayat has constructed a full-fledged public toilet complex at Gundya Junction for the travellers on the NH 75.
The NH 75 which connects Mangaluru to Bengaluru sees traffic throughout the day. Further, the pilgrims to Dharmasthala and Subrahmanya temples also pass through Gundya, said Shiradi GP president Vinitha Tangachan to DH.
Owing to the lack of toilets, many were attending nature’s call in open places beside the highway at Gundya. As a result, the public was complaining about the lack of cleanliness and the entire area reeking of a nauseating smell, she added.
“Having realised the problem faced by the shopkeepers near Gundya Junction, travellers on the national highway, auto and taxi drivers, the Shiradi Gram Panchayat under Swaccha Bharath Mission, using the funds available under 15th Finance Commission, donations from Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala, a public toilet complex has been constructed, she said.
Zilla Panchayat CEO Dr Kumar, Taluk Panchayat CEO Naveen Bhandary and the members of the GP, along with PDO Venkatesh and forest officials have extended their support in realising the long-pending demand,” said the GP president.
Janaseva Foundation from Hassan has been entrusted with the task of maintaining the public toilet complex.
“Searching for washroom was a tedious task, especially for women, while travelling. Many were depending on hotels to use the washrooms. Even the hotels were allowing only its customers to use the toilets,” said Manjunath, a frequent traveller to Bengaluru.
There are separate toilet facilities for women, men and the differently-abled, along with bathroom facilities.
Vinitha Tangachan said, “Even the shopkeepers in Gundya were facing inconvenience without the toilets as miscreants were defecating in front of the shops at night. Hundreds of lorries, bullet tankers and buses ply on the highway daily.
There was a lack of space, owing to the reserve forest on either side of the road at Gundya, for the construction of toilets. With the help of forest department officials, the public toilet has been realised, added Vinitha.
The paintings on the wall of the toilet complex are also attractive with wall writings on cleanliness.
The wall writings also warn people against open defecation and the fine imposed if anyone is caught while defecating in open.