LMC drafts women-only tender to revive 72 pink toilets
After years of lying locked and neglected, 72 pink toilets across Lucknow are set for revival under a fresh plan by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC), which aims to entrust their operation and maintenance to individual women entrepreneurs, confirmed LMC environmental engineer Sanjeev Pradhan on Monday. A key clause will make it mandatory for the operator to keep the toilet open, functional, and clean at all times. (Mushtaq Ali/HT Photo)
'These toilets were built under the Safe City Project, for women's safety and convenience, but most were shut down within months after being handed to NGOs and private agencies without any financial model,' Pradhan said.
As part of the new plan, each pink toilet will be clubbed with a 36-square-foot shop and advertising space. The units will be tendered exclusively to women applicants. While the public will be allowed to use the toilets for free, the selected operators will be allowed to earn through the shop and display ads on the premises.
A key clause will make it mandatory for the operator to keep the toilet open, functional, and clean at all times.
A visit by Hindustan Times on Monday found multiple pink toilets, especially near Vrindavan Yojna, Shaheed Path, and PGI Hospital, locked or non-functional. Some were constructed inside public parks but were inaccessible due to poor maintenance and a lack of accountability.
The issue has been a persistent concern for women commuters, daily wagers, and street vendors. 'We often struggle to find a functional toilet while working long hours in market areas. These locked pink toilets have been of no use to us,' Sunita Devi, a vegetable vendor in Alambagh, said.
According to officials, the proposal is in its final stage and will soon be tabled for approval before the tenders are floated.
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