How accessible are public washrooms in Bengaluru for women?

At a time when the government of Karnataka is mulling over a menstrual leave policy, for women working in the informal sector and for women who are out of their houses, access to public toilets remains out of the question in many parts of Bengaluru.

“I have been shopping here for almost 10 years. Until now, I have not seen a single public toilet. Even when it gets physically difficult, I must wait till I get home to relieve myself. It is shocking that there are no public toilets in such a busy area,” said Nagma, a shopper, sitting in a textile shop in Chickpet, Bengaluru.

The old ‘Pete’ (city) area in the heart of Bengaluru has around 25,000 shops. According to the traders, the floating population in this area during festive and wedding seasons is close to a lakh per day. Yet, there is only one public toilet, also known as Sulabh Shouchalaya, in Mamulpet. Most shoppers often ask shopkeepers for keys to their private toilets, or go in search of a decent restaurant to relieve themselves.

“I have come here from Sanjay Nagar,” said Uma, a shopper on A.S. Char Road. Everytime she comes to the ‘Pete’, she makes a pit stop at a hotel to use their washroom. “The public toilet in Chickpet is so tiny and so easy to miss. It is always occupied. As a diligent taxpayer, it irks me that even such basic amenities are not available to us,” she lamented.

At a time when the government of Karnataka is mulling over a menstrual leave policy, for women working in the informal sector and for women who are out of their houses, access to public toilets remains out of the question in many parts of Bengaluru. Even in places where they exist, they often go unnoticed because they are hidden from view or owing to the lack of signages. This problem has been around for decades, and there seems to be little improvement.

“I have been coming to K.R. Market since I was a child, but I have never been able to find a toilet when I need one. That holds true for other parts of the city too. We need more signages, at least in markets like these, the same way we see in malls,” said Mary, a garment worker shopping at the market.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is the civic agency handling the establishment and maintenance of public toilets in the city. When the complaints of women were communicated to Suralkar Vikas Kishore, Special Commissioner, Health and Sanitation, BBMP, he said, “We will definitely explore the possibility of setting up more toilets in areas where they are necessary.”

Even in areas where there are more than a couple of public toilets, the cost feels like a burden, especially to women whose earnings differ every day.