Baripada: Even as the administration attaches much importance on sanitation and has been making efforts to make Mayurbhanj open defecation free (ODF), community toilets in various parts of the district were found locked and unused even after their inauguration, a report said.
Over 10 public toilets in Baripada town itself are not being used. To raise public awareness on sanitation, the administration has organised special programmes and had formed human chains in the panchayat, block and district levels.
District Collector Vineet Bhardwaj had made his intention clear that the district will be made free of open defecation. Reports said of 404 panchayats, 65 have been made ODF.
However, let alone situation in rural pockets, people in Baripada town have not given up on their habit of open defecation. Some quarters said the civic body is not paying heed to this problem despite having toilet facilities in the town.
Six public toilets had been inaugurated on the Self Governance Day August 31. Three months have since passed, but community toilets are always found locked, forcing people to relive themselves in the open.
Many quarters sought o know why those toilets were not opened even after their inauguration. It has caused public resentment.
Passengers coming from as far as Udala, Kaptipada, Badasahi, Khunta, Sarat and Balasore get down from buses at important intersections of the town before leaving for their destinations. They face a lot of difficulties when they are unable to use toilets which are always are locked.
Surprisingly, the civic body is not aware of this situation. Executive officer of the Baripada municipality Saroj Kumar Das said he has no information about the toilets remaining locked all the time and he said he will look into the matter.
PNN