Hyderabad: Private agencies to run 10,000 public toilets

HYDERABAD: Thanks to GHMC elections, baby steps towards privatisation of sanitation in the city has begun. By Gandhi Jayanti, around 10,000 public toilets will be constructed in the city which will then be handed over to private agencies.
Another change in the sanitation wing is submission of circle-wise self declaration form by officials and staffers to avoid proxy attendance of sweepers. “The six zonal commissioners are identifying only commercial stretches in their respective zones,” said a GHMC official.
As per Comprehensive Road Maintenance Programme , apart from maintaining 709 kms main roads by taking up road restoration works, the onus on sweeping the main roads also lies with private agencies. “Tenders have not been floated yet, steps to ensure there is no overlap of stretches will be taken,” said Rahul Raj, GHMC additional commissioner for sanitation wing. As per civic body’s estimates, the annual maintenance of all the public toilets is Rs 23 crore. An estimated cost of annual maintenance of commercial stretches has not been drafted.