Residents’ disapproval over public toilet coming up at park in Patiala; residents’ stage protest
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ August 6,2023
Even as the Patiala Municipal Corporation has started construction of a public toilet at the Model Town park, the move has invited criticism from area residents who claim that that the toilet block will hamper the environment of the residences around the park.
The residents of the area and Society for Environment have raised their voice against the move of Patiala Municipal Corporation to construct public toilet in the park, which is surrounded by residences. The residents had submitted a memorandum at the office of the MC Commissioner demanding immediate stopping of the construction work.
Today, the residents stage a protest at the park. Sumit, an area resident, said “the park is spread over 2.5 acres of land. The park is a heart of the residential area. He added that an NGO, Society for Environment, maintained Air Commander Mehar Singh Park. We have a registered association that maintains the park. The society is taking care of it by spending money from our own pockets for the past several years. However, the area politicians who have some vested interest in association with the authorities of Patiala Municipal Corporation, in order to facilitate the nearby marketplace, has started construction of a public toilet at the park. Had the residents not interfered in time, they would have succeeded in their mission. In fact, the MC has not even provided any grant for the maintenance of the park or to pay the watchman, why they choose this site for constructing public toilets”.
Residents’ disapproval over public toilet coming up at park in Patiala; residents’ stage protest. Area residents said the MC officials did not even consult them before starting the work.
An officer of the Patiala Municipal Corporation said, “the Patiala municipal corporation (MC) has received a certification of being included in the list of open defecation free (ODF) ++ category of urban local bodies in India, which means that it has achieved safe sustainable sanitation for all. To upgrade itself on ODF category, the municipal corporation has identified eight locations for constructing public toilets in the city. But, after the objection raised by the area residents, the MC will carry out further construction only after consulting the area residents.”
