Dharwad, October 21 (IANS). The ‘Har Ghar Toilet’ scheme under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan promised to promote cleanliness across the country, but the reality in Dharwad, Karnataka is disappointing. The public toilets built by Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) about 20 years ago are still lying unused and dilapidated. These toilets, built with taxpayers’ money, have not been used even for a day, hence the awareness of the local people and cleanliness are in question. Many public toilets were built two decades ago in HDMC’s 82 wards. There were plans to operate these toilets on a pay-and-use model, but the plan never materialized. As a result, these toilets are on the verge of collapse today. Local resident Diwan said, “These toilets have never been maintained. People are forced to defecate in the open, while these facilities lie unused.” Officials of the Municipal Corporation say that tenders will be issued to repair old toilets, but this process remains incomplete. Municipal commissioner Rudresh said, “We are taking steps for repairs, but there are delays due to inspections and transfers.” Meanwhile, the corporation’s focus is on modern portable toilets, which can be easily moved. However, the neglect and destruction of old toilets is a serious example of misuse of public taxes. Local people say that until the accountability of officials is not established, such schemes will remain limited to paper only. The objective of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was to provide toilet facilities to every household and community, but in areas like Dharwad, this dream remains unfulfilled. Many local residents say that such projects fail due to lack of maintenance and regular inspection. This situation not only reflects apathy towards cleanliness, but also raises questions about where and how public money is spent. If every new official continues to ignore the old problems, the dream of Swachh Bharat will remain far from reality in Dharwad. –IANS SCH/VC Share this story Tags
Public toilets built 20 years ago in Dharwad have fallen into disrepair without being used.
