Warangal Urban: ‘Smart City’ Warangal will soon boast of having more ‘Loo Cafes,’ modern and swanky toilets that have facilities like baby-feeding or diaper-changing rooms, café or caretaker room, toilet blocks with hand wash facilities in each unit, for men and women separately.
Each Loo Cafe is surrounded by a bit of green space and landscaping. While a total of six Loo Cafes were constructed in six public gathering locations in the city, three of them, located at the District Collectorate Subedari, Old-Bus depot and NIT centre, were inaugurated recently and one of them has been functioning at the Collectorate since Tuesday. Taking a cue from the GHMC, the GWMC took up construction of these Loo Cafes through a contracting agency.
Speaking to Telangana Today, GWMC commissioner Pamela Satpathy said they constructed the Loo Cafes with state-of-the-art technology, which has corporate-level lighting, designer flooring, two she toilets, two men’s toilets, two bathrooms, a spacious wash basin and a baby-feeding room for the convenience of people. She urged the city residents and visitors to make use of these modern toilets which are maintained efficiently and hygienically.
“The revenue model is that the operator should earn enough from the cafe alone to run and maintain the toilet. Use of toilets is free for the public, while the cost of each Loo Café is Rs 16 lakhs,” Satpathy added.
While two loo Cafés were handed over to Modern Awareness Society (MAS), a transgenders association, two toilets were given to the urban women’s association, and one each to sanitary employees’ society and persons with disabilities. MAS was founded in 2004 in the district with the objective of bringing together the transgenders community to facilitate them access their rights and entitlements.
Ashwini, a transgender, who works as caretaker at the Loo Café in Warangal Urban collectorate, said the facility was functioning since Tuesday. The number of visitors is increasing gradually and I am hopeful that it go up once people get to know the facilities, Ashwini said, and Pamela Satpathy for giving an opportunity to transgenders to run the Loo Cafes. “I am also thankful our leader Laila for her help,” she added.
An autorickshaw driver Hymanth Abbu appreciated the GWMC for setting up such beautiful and modern toilets with many facilities including tea or coffee. “On Tuesday, I had a cup of tea at this new facility and am having it today too,” he said.
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