Public toilet razed in Sector 98, residents ask why

Noida: A public toilet in Sector 98, near Skymark One Building Link Road, was found demolished last week without prior notice, raising questions from residents and commuters who regularly use the stretch.Residents alleged that many of these toilets have remained unusable or locked for long periods. “We seek clarification from the Authority over the demolition of public toilets and the alleged waste of public funds. Why can’t public toilets be renovated instead of being demolished?” a resident of Antriksh Golf View 2, Ranjan Samantaray, said.From 2011 to 2021, the Noida Authority built a large number of public sanitation facilities under the build, operate, transfer (BOOT) model as part of city-wide redevelopment and infrastructure drives. The goal was to promote hygiene, cleanliness, and public convenience, aligned with the “Swachh Noida, Clean Noida” vision. The initiative was initially praised as a progressive step for urban infrastructure.In recent years, however, many of these toilets have suffered from poor maintenance, encroachments, and unauthorised commercial use—such as car washing and storage. Residents say repeated neglect has undermined their utility and effectiveness.Several such toilets have been found locked, unusable or lacking maintenance, with broken sinks, taps, pipes, etc, which have further raised questions regarding planning, accountability, and the utilisation of taxpayers’ money.Residents said that although redevelopment and modernisation help cities grow, public infrastructure built with taxpayer money needs to be managed with careful planning, openness, and responsibility.“A lot of public money was spent on building these public toilets. Weren’t proper feasibility studies done before building them at various locations?” said a commuter, Brajesh Singh, who added that there appears to be a contradiction between the continued promotion of “Swachh Noida, Clean Noida” campaigns and the removal or neglect of essential public sanitation facilities.Anand Mohan Singh, deputy director (horticulture) of the Noida Authority, told TOI that a beautification plan was devised for the area around eight months ago. However, the toilet is located at a corner blind spot, obstructing traffic movement. Consequently, the contracted company has been directed to relocate the toilet approximately 30 feet away.“The toilet was obstructing the traffic flow in the area around the Noida Expressway. It will be rebuilt just 30 feet behind the current location. Meanwhile, the one-acre area where the said toilet existed will be developed into a beautifully planned green landscape,” said Singh.