How many public toilets a megalopolis like Dhaka City has? In fact, quite a few of those were constructed during the reign of autocrat Ershad. But subsequently some of those were demolished only to be built at a place less convenient for users. The first one of its kind set up at Farmgate served well for some years but then it was brought down. A new one was built near the Ispahani Eye Hospital on the western edge of the park. This time though, the site was at some distance from the intersection and bus stands. So, not many bother to go there and at least a good number of people have gone their old ways to relieve them right on the street side.
In fact, more than toilets, what people need is urinal. This country cannot think of public bath. But surely they need urinals for short calls in emergency. Unfortunately, such facilities are conspicuous by their absence. Everywhere in a crowded city, be it in the developed or underdeveloped world, providing such facilities has proved to be a daunting challenge. Loos as they are also called, have undergone various research and experiments. Cities like London, Amsterdam and a few in Canada have come up with a latest mobile version. In London, they call a type 'telescopic urinals'. The latest ones are a 'pop up' version. These facilities go underground during the day and slide out after sunset.
One cannot say, experiments with such facilities have been very successful. Indeed finding a decent way of relieving oneself in a public place has always been a difficult proposition. No wonder, an emergency of this type has been considered an anathema. But it is such an emergency one cannot avoid even if one is extremely cautious. Finding no facility at such an emergency can really make one extremely desperate. But most people in this part of the world are not averse to finishing the act in public places under the nose of the public.
The fact that toilet or urinals are euphemistically called bathrooms or wash rooms is because there is an overt attempt to avoid the unpleasantness associated with it. It is essential and it is private too. Not many people can be easy to perform an act like this when others are waiting outside in the queue. But when there is a large crowd in an auditorium or similar other places, who have to spend there hours, the facilities prove too inadequate for the demand. People really discover themselves in an awkward situation. They are forced to somehow compromise on their sense of decency. Â
Telescopic urinals can be an answer to anti-social acts but then open urinals are a source of embarrassment too. In Dhaka the introduction of mobile toilets came as a welcome move. But few use those. Often people respond to the call of nature not far away from such facilities. Why they do is anyone's guess. Have they not developed the sense of privacy or they just want to save the charge amounting Tk 3 or 5 for use of the facility? Whatever may be the cause, the fact remains that the facilities are yet to be popular enough.
Until now, though, the overwhelming emphasis has been on male toilets. Few, if any, cater to the need of women. How do they face crisis like this seems to be no one's headache. Sure enough, the number of male on the street, in market places and busy intersections is far greater than women. But then their number is already substantial and it is rising. Not all of them can count on secure places in their work place; some are in need of such public facilities.
In fact the measure of civilisation is the state of toilets people use. So let there be adequate number of toilets or urinals -ones that are properly maintained in the city so that shameless open-space act can be made a history. Â
Public toilets or urinals in city
Nilratan Halder | Published: December 13, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
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