Hyderabad: The Tank Bund stretch, generally a hit among the health enthusiasts in the city for its greenery and well-laid walkers’ track, has in the recent times become an eyesore. Open toilets, especially adjacent to the Tikkaana Somayaji statue, have left joggers and walkers disgusted.
“The open toilets positioned adjacent to the walkers’ track on Tank Bund are an ugly sight. How can toilets be built on the stretch visited by thousands?” asked Vijay Kumar, a retired Commodore-rank officer, in a letter to Deccan Chronicle.
“I was shocked by this horrible sight in the morning when I went for my jog. It was humiliating. Is this how the GHMC is conducting the Swacch Bharat campaign? I am appalled and would like the authorities to remove these structures.” he said.
Vendors claim that that the toilets adjacent to the Tikkaana Somayaji statue have been there since October. However, they are not in use. In fact, more than 20 temporary toilets were constructed on the stretch before the Bathukamma celebrations in October.
GHMC commissioner Somesh Kumar said, “The temporary toilets were built during the Bathukamma festivities, especially for women and children. Most of them have been removed. However, this set of toilets may have been missed. We will get them removed immediately.”
Yadhgiri, the deputy commissioner of Circle 9, said, “On Sunday morning, an inspection will be conducted at Tank Bund and the remaining temporary toilets will be rem-oved.” Bio-urinals, or mobile toilets, have been introduced by GHMC to put an end to open toilets.
