Pune Residents Slam PMC’s Plan For ₹2.5 Crore ‘VIP Toilets’ Amid Poor Maintenance Of Existing Facilities
Pune Residents Slam PMC’s Plan For ₹2.5 Crore 'VIP Toilets' Amid Poor Maintenance Of Existing Facilities
Pune, May 15, 2025 — A wave of criticism has erupted among Pune citizens following the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) proposal to construct five high-end public toilets at a cost of ₹50 lakh each. The ₹2.5 crore project has sparked outrage, with residents questioning the need for such luxury amenities when many existing public toilets remain in disrepair.
According to the plan, the proposed “VIP toilets” are to be built at five key locations: Katraj Chowk (Pune-Satara Road), Shewalewadi bus depot (Pune-Solapur Road), Balewadi bus depot (Pune-Mumbai Road), Wagholi (Pune-Ahilyanagar Road), and Pune railway station. These facilities will include features such as air conditioning, Wi-Fi, mobile and laptop charging points, showers, and changing rooms. The project is aimed at benefiting women and travelers.
However, citizens and civic groups argue that the money would be better spent on improving and maintaining existing toilets, many of which are unusable due to poor upkeep. In particular, women have expressed frustration over the lack of clean and accessible public restrooms across the city.
Public feedback indicates that PMC has previously invested in modern toilet infrastructure. In 2018, the civic body built 20 such toilets using Member of Parliament funds at a cost of ₹2 crore. These facilities have since become non-functional after the maintenance contract ended. With missing steel doors and damaged sensors, they now lie abandoned.
Civic activists and citizen groups argue that sustainable sanitation efforts require not just infrastructure but trained staff and consistent maintenance. They suggest the PMC collaborate with NGOs and sanitation-focused organizations to manage public toilets effectively, rather than investing in extravagant new facilities.
PMC officials have confirmed that tenders for the new toilets have been floated, with construction expected to begin after the bidding process concludes. The civic body claims the initiative aims to offer high-quality sanitation at high-traffic locations and has called for public-private partnerships and community support to ensure long-term success.
Despite these assurances, many residents remain skeptical, warning that without a clear maintenance strategy, the new toilets could meet the same fate as earlier projects.
