Only seven mobile toilets are in operation in the capital as the non-government organisations willing to add more are yet to get permission from the Dhaka City Corporation.
The Association for Realisation of Basic Needs is running four, Dustha Sasthya Kendra is running two and Nagar Seba is running one mobile toilets in the city.
International organisation WaterAid Bangladesh is the sponsor of the ARBAN mobile toilets.
WaterAid Bangladesh country director Khairul Islam told New Age that it was the duty of the Dhaka City Corporation to operate 100-200 mobile toilets as DCC had no space to set up public toilets.
The existing mobile toilets are meeting the urgent need of people but they are insufficient for about two crore people, he said.
Nagar Seba’s proramme manager Emdad Hossain said that it was some individual’s effort which was considered as social work.
But it is not possible for an NGO to fulfill the demand of the whole of the city, he said.
The first mobile toilet, which is running since December 7, 2010, was launched under the supervision of DSK and the second one, which is running since March 15, 2011, was launched under the supervision of Nagar Seba.
ARBAN programme coordinator Muhibur Rahman said they applied on November 24, 2010 for permission to launch 20 more mobile toilets but did not get the approval yet.
He said their mobile toilets provided service on the Bengali New Year, April 14, at Ramna in Dhaka. About two thousand people used them and appreciated the service of mobile toilet.
The organisation wants to increase the number of mobile toilets to 50-60 but it was filing to do so as it was yet get DCC approval, he said.
Muhibur said DCC was not giving them permission while it was welcoming corporate offices to come up with new proposal, which is frustrating for us.
ARBAN keeps two mobile toilets opposite Dhaka Medical College considering rush of people at the place and a poor woman supervise the toilets.
It provides services 24 hours and charges Tk 5.
Every day 150-200 persons use a mobile toilet for urination and defecation, said the supervisor Mamtaz.
She said the users were mostly rickshaw pullers, van pullers, service holders and other persons coming from long distance.
DCC chief waste management officer Bipan Kumar Saha said to the New Age that they were welcoming corporate offices to launch 100 or more mobile toilets as the DCC’ s public toilet experience was not good.
Regarding permission to the non-government organisations, he said, ‘We give permission considering area and mass gathering and the NGOs will get permission soon.’
Bipan Kumar also said they were planning to help those who were already running mobile toilets in the capital.
-With New Age input
