‘Only 1 public toilet for every 30,000 people in Bengaluru’: BJP lampoons Karnataka govt

In a sharp attack on the DK Shivakumar-led Congress government in Karnataka, Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka on Thursday claimed that their claims of building a “Brand Bengaluru” clearly stand exposed by the city’s poor sanitation infrastructure.

Highlighting a survey conducted by the Bengaluru Political Action Committee (B.PAC), the BJP leader claimed that India’s IT hub has only one public toilet for every 30,000 people, calling it a reflection of the state government’s failure to provide basic civic amenities to people, IANS reported.

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“The state government continues to speak about creating ‘Brand Bengaluru,’ but the reality on the ground tells a different story. It is shameful that Bengaluru, which enjoys global recognition as India’s IT-BT capital, is unable to provide even basic sanitation facilities to its residents,” Ashoka said in a statement.

Talking about the key findings in the B.PAC report, Ashoka alleged that 58 per cent of public toilets in the city are unfit for use. He added that these have been turned into garbage dumps and hubs for drug use and smoking.

Also, a shocking 60 per cent of public toilets in Bengaluru lack water facilities, while only six out of 142 toilets surveyed were found to be clean, he highlighted.

Ashoka noted that 94 per cent of the toilets are not accessible or suitable for women and persons with disabilities.

Accusing the Congress government of being preoccupied with political battles, Ashoka said they are ignoring the daily hardships faced by lakhs of Bengalureans, office-goers, women, and sanitation workers.

“Where is the taxpayers’ money going? A government that cannot provide basic sanitation has no moral right to remain in office,” he said.