City to get planned public sanitation system: Khokon

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sayeed Khokon on Thursday said a planned public sanitation system will be developed for the city dwellers and travellers.
“We’ll develop a planned public sanitation system in the city for its inhabitants, especially for pedestrians, travellers, women and those who spend long time on streets due to traffic congestion,” he said inaugurating the construction work on a public toilet at Panthakunja of Karwanbazar, one of the busy places of the capital.
Khokon said 50 modern and women-friendly public toilets will be built in the densely populated areas of the city.
DSCC councillor from Ward No-21 MA Hamid Khan and Director of WaterAid Bangladesh Dr Liakath Ali were, among others, present at the inaugural function.
The public toilet is being constructed as per a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed last year among Dhaka North City Corporation, Dhaka South City Corporation, Dhaka WASA and WaterAid Bangladesh.
WaterAid and H&M Conscious Foundation are providing financial and technical assistance for the construction of the public toilets.
Dr Liakath Ali said WaterAid Bangladesh aims to set up a functional public toilet system and introduce effective model for toilet management in the city.
A study on the public toilets in Dhaka City commissioned by WaterAid in 2011 revealed that out of 47 public toilets, more than half of toilets are not in minimum serviceable condition and they do not have women -and children -friendly facilities.
-SS