GHMC plans 100 more smart toilets

Hi-Tech City: Until quite recently, women found it hard to change sanitary pads as they could hardly find a private space across the city. Only in sheer emergencies the women would use the public toilets as they were not meant for changing pads and they were unclean. Now, with the ‘Loo café they only have to dump in a five rupee coin inside a kiosk for sanitary napkin.

The first-free smart integrated washroom Loo cafe is set up at Hi-Tech City. The Loo Café includes free Wi-Fi, charging station, first aid kit and sanitary napkin vending machine and also access for washrooms for men, women and differently-abled persons. The washroom at Hi-Tech City costs around Rs 12 lakh with the finished products. The revenue for maintaining the washroom comes from giving space at the Loo Café on rental basis for ATMs, beverage stores, etc. As the initiative comes under CSR activity. Ixora company spends Rs 50,000 per month including utility, water and salary for maintenance staff. 

The officials say more facilities will be coming up for the smart integrated washrooms like ATM, solar roofing, food launch trails, free space at washroom and incinerator. The queue starts from 5 am and continues till night as the service is available 24 hours. 

Director of Ixora facilities management company, Chakravathy said, “We are more focusing on women and their comfort, earlier there was no facility given to women and the free GHMC public washrooms are not that clean and hygiene. We are soon going to open Loo Café in education institution, parks and beaches where people will find it easy to use the washrooms. About 2,000 more Loo Cafés will be opened in India and work has already started in Gwalior and Delhi. Our target in Hyderabad is more than 100 Loo Cafes.”

Speaking to The Hans India, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) zonal commissioner, Serilingampally, Hari Chandana Dasari said, “This intiative is creating sustainability and proper sanitation in the city. The GHMC and Ixora management are planning to create 100 more Loo Cafes in the city. In Serilingampally zone Loo Café will be set up at Yousufguda, Chandanagar, and Serilingampally and Ramchandrapuram circles.”