Shravanabelagola: As a divine appearance, the doors of three public toilets of Shravanabelagola are being opened in the wake of Bahubali Mahamasthakabhisheka, after 12 years!
The local gram panchayat, which has the responsibility of maintaining the toilets, closed them soon after the last festival citing dearth of staff. As a result, the tourists and the devotees have to depend on nearest hotels, lodges and plain land.
Public toilets have been constructed near Vindyagiri, Chandragiri premises, and Aadikavi Pampa library premises. Among these toilet at Vindyagiri (paid use) is usually kept open from 6 am to 6 pm, which is facing water scarcity. Many tourists have faced the problem here and the locals say that the district administration is not serious about opening permanent public toilets, locals blame.
Tourists ask for toilets soon after they reach here. We have to show the hotels and lodges. Schoolchildren who come on tour here also depend on plain lands to answer nature’s call. Permanent toilets should be built like in Dharmasthala to help outsiders. Several memorandum to Gram Panchayat also didn’t work, a merchant said.
Panchayat Development Officer Naveen Kumar agreed that there is a scarcity of staff for the maintenance of toilets and respective officials would solve the problem soon. On the occasion of Mahamasthakabhisheka, temporary toilets will be built in 32 places.
