Most e-toilets not working

Your tax money spent on expensive e-toilets is going down the drain. That’s because BBMP is too lazy to renew their annual maintenance contracts. A Metrolife reality check

Over half of all e-toilets in Bengaluru are not working because the BBMP has not renewed their annual maintenance contracts. The high-tech toilets were introduced in 2014 amid much fanfare, with our municipal leaders beaming and announcing the smart booths make Bengaluru proud. The total number of high-tech toilets in the city is 169. The first lot was commissioned between 2014 and 2016 and the second in 2017. Some in the second lot are still being installed.

Of these, 87 commissioned in the first phase are not functional because the BBMP hasn’t renewed the annual maintenance contracts. The toilets in the second phase are working but maintenance is poor. Metrolife went to five locations across the city and inspected e-toilets. We found rusted exteriors, ripped-off electricity wires, and broken lights everywhere. A senior BBMP official told Metrolife the contract for the annual maintenance was “under review.” The agency that maintains the e-toilets is Eram Scientific Solutions. Company officials told Metrolife they have received no contracts for 87 toilets bought by the BBMP. The maintenance for each unit comes to Rs 3,800 a year. “This includes cleaning, salaries, electricity and water bills and procuring spares. The in-built GPRS gives us an idea of whether the unit is in a working condition or not,” says the official. The e-toilet is designed to save water and electricity and works with 24-hour power back up. The toilet flushes automatically, and the lights come on only when the toilet is in use. Red indicates someone is using it and green means it is ready for use.

Jayanagar 2nd Block

‘Just a showpiece’

This was also among the first to be installed in the city in 2014. The door remains shut and people urinate against its walls. Mansoor, sales manager at a shop in the vicinity, calls this a “just a showpiece.”

“It hasn’t been working at least a year now. There’s nobody to inspect it and set it right. There are parks, hospitals and educational institutions here and this would be really useful,” he says.

A toilet costs Rs 6.40 lakh

The 87 toilets in the first package cost the BBMP Rs 5.56 lakh each. In the second lot of 82 toilets, bought in 2017, each cost Rs 6.40 lakh. The agency that supplies and maintains toilets is the Kerala-based Eram Scientific Solutions. A sale comes with a warranty and two years of maintenance. The BBMP has not renewed the annual maintenance contracts.

Maintenance cost

The maintenance covers the replacement of spares and keeping the surroundings clean. The maintenance comes to Rs 3,800 per month per unit.

What a relief!

Spot an e-toilet? Doors open if you drop a coin: Rs 1 or Rs 5.

Basavanagudi, near Ramakrishna Ashram

No one picks helpline calls The main door is rusted and the paint is peeling off on the sides. Cobwebs have gathered below the toilet. Metrolife saw citizens knocking on the door, assuming someone has settled inside for a long time. Metrolife called the helpline 78992 86888 five times but didn’t get a response. People in the area say they have tried, too, and the helpline never works. Gangadhar, senior citizen, says, “There’s no power, no water and no maintenance. There was a similar toilet in MN Krishna Rao Park but it was taken away. The helpline never works.”

DVG Road

Cleanliness given a go-by The two e-toilets on DVG Road are in working condition, but they are far from perfect. These are frequently used by shoppers and construction labourers. Prasad, a resident, says “I rarely use it because it is unhygienic. If eight people use it one after the other, the door refuses to open for the ninth. I don’t know if it gets stuck or if it is programmed like that. We have to wait for at least an hour before the door opens.”

Town Hall

‘With toilets locked, women go outdoors’ The e-toilet near Town Hall has not been working for over a month. This bustling junction branches off to Bengaluru’s busiest wholesale vegetable market: KR Market. All around are banks, offices and shops, with the electronics hub, SP Road, just a stone’s throw away. Both toilets here don’t work. Joshi, who runs a shop near the toilets, says, “These are needed here badly because the other public toilets are too dirty to use. I see at least ten or 15 people come every day, hoping to use the e-toilets but returning disappointed.” Govindamma, a BBMP worker, struggles to find a place to relieve herself. “I have come here at least three times but it hasn’t been working,” she says.

Bull Temple Road, near temple, toilet run

The wires are all ripped off. People say the toilet hasn’t worked for at least a year. Shilpa R, a regular to the Dodda Ganesha temple, says the toilet was most useful for people visiting the temple. “I have sometimes seen the orange light on. This is an indication that it can be used. But the door doesn’t open,”she says.

The many benefits of E-toilets

Saves water: auto flushing before and after use with just 1.5 litres.

Auto cleaning after 10 consecutive uses with 4.5 litres of water.

Audio instructions in Kannada and English.

Features include wash basin, exhaust fan, health faucet, bag hanger and LED lights and indicators.

Overhead water tank capacity is 300 litres.

GPRS connection helps indicates whether it is working or not.

Unit is made from stainless steel.

System automatically switches on once the user goes inside.

Coins ranging from Rs 1 to Rs 5 can be used.