Bengaluru’s Cubbon Park cries for hygienic toilet facilities

Named after the longest-serving commissioner of the time, Sir Mark Cubbon, the park is located in the city’s Central Administrative area. It is accessible from the city’s MG Road, Kasturba Road, Hudson Circle and Ambedkar Veedhi Road. Thousands of people visit the park. Bengaluru earned the sobriquet ‘Garden City’ from the beauty of Cubbon Park.

Despite the magnificence of the park, the condition of the pay-and-use toilets remains abysmal, lacking basic hygiene facilities. The toilets have broken flush tanks, broken taps, and holes in the roof. Some latrines have no lights, soap or a dustbin. The only two pay-and-use toilets are situated on the Dr Ambedkar Road side and Chinnaswamy Stadium side. People have to pay Rs 5 to use the toilet. Visitors, especially women, complained about the pungent smell from the filthy toilets and the lack of dustbins to dispose of sanitary pads.

The park houses the state’s biggest library ‘The Seshadri Memorial Library’. It is also surrounded by important buildings such as the Vidhan Soudha (Karnataka state legislature), Karnataka High Court, the Press Club, the second largest aquarium in India, Indira Priyadarshini Children’s Library and Venkatappa Art Gallery.

“A lot of people visit the park and absence of hygiene could lead to Urinary Tract Infections (UTI). Clean public toilets should be the priority of the authorities if they give importance to the health of the public. If the toilets are clean, it ensures that the authorities are doing a good job and also instills a sense of comfort in people,” said Ananya Das, a visitor to the park.

Another visitor, Muskaan Kousar emphasised the need to add more toilet blocks on the park premises. “There are only two washrooms in this huge park. The washrooms here can be better maintained. The taps do not work. There is water overflowing and the washrooms are really dirty,” said Kousar who added that Cubbon Park is part of Bengaluru’s heritage and it needed better care.