Public toilets to soon get sensor-based monitoring in Warangal

Warangal: People would not have to bother about stinking public toilets in Warangal anymore as they will soon come under real-time monitoring through sensors. It is seen as a game-changer in keeping the washroom clean through real-time monitoring via an array of sensors installed inside the toilet.

Warangal is the first city in south India and third in the country to have such sensor-monitored mechanism for the upkeep of toilets. Thanks to Pune-based Smart Loo Solutions that came forward to install the gadgetry at the public toilet near Forest Office in the city, free of cost. The initiative is being taken up as a pilot project in association with the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) and the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC).

Sensors fitted in the public toilets are key components in the real-time monitoring. These sensors track bathroom usage, occupancy and the water level in the overhead tank of the facility. The officials sitting at a remote location can access the data sent by sensors and act accordingly. If the toilets are stinking, the odour detection sensors come into play.

Most importantly, the system provides information about the public toilets' opening and closure timings. The toilet operators from here and onwards need to be careful of their timings. Further, the system allows the users to give their feedback to the authorities by pressing green for clean and red for unkempt.

Speaking to The Hans India, ASCI Warangal Coordinator P Rajamohan Reddy said, "the real-time sensor monitoring gives the officials an edge as they don't have to check physically every now and then. Sitting in the GWMC office, we can get data if there were any shortcomings in the public toilets. If the facility runs out of water, the Sanitary Inspector, Municipal Health Officer and Municipal Commissioner concerned would get an alert, likewise, if the facility is stinking."

If the pilot project is successful, the administration is likely to install the sensors in other public toilets in the city. As of now, the gadgetry is being installed at the public toilet located near the Forest Office, he said. The sensor-based real-time monitoring system was first installed in public toilets in Pune, and then at Patiala, and they are running successfully, according to officials.

Smart Loo Founder cum Director Iti has on Friday inspected the installation of sensor-based gadgetry along with the GWMC officials.