Three weeks ago, PMC officials along with a city-based NGO, conducted a survey on the city’s public toilets. This, after the HC had instructed the civic body to conduct a thorough inspection and table a report within a month following Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an activist questioning the poor state of ladies toilets in the city. To review the situation for women (it is not tough for men to find a loo, most of the times they do not even feel the need for any), team dna went out to check the state of the nearest ladies toilets in the busiest shopping areas to understand the issues women face.
Laxmi Road
A famous shopping destination where one would find everything, save for a public toilet. It took us 20 minutes to find the one at Jondhale Chowk on Kumthekar Road. So if you’re in ‘urgency’, it would be better to look for a nursing home or a mall. The only good thing here, was that the toilets were clean, with adequate water and a female guard too.
MG Road
After walking for a good 300 metres from East Street, someone directed us to a public toilet ahead of the JJ garden vadapav centre lane. However, after seeing the condition of the toilet, we couldn’t even stand there beyond for over a few seconds. No security guards, no bolts on doors, dirty unwashed tiles and stinking loos was enough to send us running in the other direction. After 10 minutes, we found one near Kayani Bakery, but it was a free for all (unisex if you may)! Thankfully, we saw a mall nearby.
Tulshibaug
The pay-and-use public toilet right in the Tulshibaug Ganpati Mandir lane is clean with intact window panes and doors with latches, and most importantly, it is freshly-washed. However, there are male guards at the entrance and with no other person using the loo, which made it a little awkward and unsafe.
FC Road
We checked the one opposite Hotel Roopali, and to our pleasant surprise, the toilet was clean with adequate water supply, along with provision for hand-wash. From the security point of view, doors could be securely-locked, with a woman guard standing outside. It was quite satisfying to have a good public toilet for just Rs2.
Camp’s Fashion Street
Yet another popular shopping destination, similar to its namesake in Mumbai, this street may have the best ‘easy on the pocket fashion’, but the worst public loo in the city. Right in the middle of an over-crowded parking area, it is nearly impossible to navigate through the small space to reaching inside the toilet. Filthy and stinking, out of condition taps, no security guards, we doubt if a woman would ever use this one.
Swargate
The one we visited was right outside the Swargate Bus Stand. The toilet was dirty and stinking. There were two male guards outside the toilet, with no one else in the ladies toilet. So this can be unsafe, if you are not using the toilet at busy hours.
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 "The public toilet on Laxmi Road.")
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