Awareness is the key; BBMP must ensure: Bangalore University vice-chancellor

“Indians already have been popular for eating in private and peeing in public,” said Dr N Prabhu Dev, vice chancellor, Bangalore University.

He said that it is basic decency that one shouldn't urinate in public, which is unhealthy and obnoxious. In fact, these practices have come from village life in the past where there were no facilities, he says.

“With more and more people migrating from villages to the cities, they have brought these shameful practices with them and resort to them despite having at least some facilities of public urinals and toilets,” Prabhu Dev says.

The most important solution to eradicate this rampant nuisance is spreading awareness by the municipal corporation, schools, colleges and parents at home, he feels.

“BBMP should take up full responsibility to spread awareness on how public urination can have health hazards and that it is indecent. In my opinion the younger generation is highly concerned about these issues and will surely want to make a difference,” says Prabhu Dev.

He also said that colleges affiliated to Bangalore University have been pressed to usher in discipline among the students. “We are writing letters to all colleges, to make sure that each college has a separate and clean toilet for boys and girls, as well as for staff members. We also have a reality check committee, to ensure these. In fact, there are many colleges that don’t have toilets, and we are taking strict action against them. We might also de- affiliate colleges who would not comply,” he said.

“Students right from primary school should be taught that it is not right to relieve oneself in public. There must be a system through which his marks are reduced if he is caught urinating in public, or at least some sort of penalty could be imposed. It is only then that it will be inculcated into the system, and he will grow up to be a responsible adult. It’s important to drill in such values right from a young age,” he says.