Sopore: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan of ‘Pehle Shauchalaya, Phir Devalaya’ (first toilets, then temples) is falling flat in Jammu and Kashmir’s Sopore Town once known as ‘Chhota London’ (a mini London).
Day in and day out, we hear the PM stressing upon cleanliness, celebrities joining in as brand ambassadors, and movies like ‘Toilet’ being promoted by one and all – to get people accustomed to use toilets. However, the town in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district has a different story to tell.
Sopore town craves for official attention. The residents said the tall claims by authorities that public toilets will be constructed in the town have proven hollow. No construction work has been started.
The town is home to a number of commercial establishments, schools, colleges and above all, the Asia’s second largest fruit mandi. People from all walks of life, from adjacent areas, visit here on daily basis in pursuit of education, employment, and business, etc.
A college girl told INS that access to public toilets remains a big issue particularly for women and girls.
“As soon as you leave the security of your house to school or college, there’s no place for you to go,” the student who has to travel from far off place to Sopore said. “A dire need is felt of the public toilets.”
Talking to INS, the Traders Federation Sopore president Haji Mohammad Ashraf Ganie said, “We have been betrayed by authorities. The step-motherly approach has brought only miseries to the people of this town.”
He said despite repeated promises by authorities; nothing has been done at the ground level. “We met with the Director Local Bodies in Srinagar. He assured us of the speedy process of undertaking the construction work of flush points in the Sopore town. However, as of now nothing has been put in place.”
Civil Society Sopore general secretary Zaffar Ahmad Bhat told INS that several reminders have been sent to higher authorities for the construction of public toilets in the town.
“The women, children and the passengers travelling from far flung areas are the worst sufferers. The authorities don’t pay any heed to the problem,”Bhat said.
Meanwhile, when contacted, the Executive Officer Sopore Abdul Miteen told INS, “The land has been identified for the construction of public toilets at Maharajpora, MCH Sopore, Main Bazar, General Bus Stand, Fruit Mandi and Boys Higher Secondary School.”
The ADC of the town Khursheed Ahamd Shah said that people and civil society members should line up and cooperate with the administration for the “noble work” of Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.
